Equal Earth map – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

A study of propaganda in Ethiopia examined what happens when the authority of a map meets social media and political conflict. TUBS/Wikimedia Commons

September 24, 2026

Maps can be misleading – on purpose – and their story becomes history. The case of Ethiopia

Daniel Waktola, Austin Community College

Political groups use social media ‘maptivism’ to spread exaggerated regional maps to stake a claim to territory.

A political wall map using the Equal Earth projection centred at the prime meridian. Wikimedia Commons

September 13, 2026

New world map makes Africa look bigger: what’s the fuss about? Cartographers explain

Jack Swab, University of Tennessee and Derek H. Alderman, University of Tennessee

Correcting the mental map of global leaders is an important step in amplifying Africa’s relevance and rights.

Maps influence the world through their representation of the size of countries and the kinds of information they emphasize. (Correct The Map)

September 8, 2026

Correcting the map: How a UN resolution marks a step toward decolonizing world maps

Sébastien Caquard, Concordia University

The resolution, submitted by a group of African states, corrects 450 years of cartographic injustice by recognizing the distortions produced by the Mercator projection.

The Mercator map exaggerates the area of North America and Eurasia while under-representing the size of much of South America and Africa. NASA's Earth Observatory "Blue Marble" series / Wikimedia Commons

August 28, 2025

World maps get Africa’s size wrong: cartographers explain why fixing it matters

Jack Swab, University of Tennessee and Derek H. Alderman, University of Tennessee

Maps help shape how we make sense of the world.

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