Why in the news?

• The African Union has endorsed a global campaign to replace the Mercaptor Projection Map with a map that shows the real size of Africa.

Mercator Projection Map

• What is it?
  • It is a cylindrical projection of the world, made for the sake of navigation purposes in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator.
  • The cylindrical projection significantly distorts continental sizes, making high-latitude regions like North America and Europe appear far larger, while shrinking Africa and South America
• Features
  • It involves projection of the spherical earth on a flat surface by cylindrically projecting it.
  • The Rhumb Line or Straight line Navigation line makes it ideal for maritime navigation purposes.
  • Meridians and latitudes form a grid pattern on the map.
  • It contains true scale only along the equator– Distorted appearance of areas near to the poles with increased size.
  • Shapes and angles of the map are conserved.
• What African Union claims:
  • It downplays the prominence of Africa and reinforces misleading stereotypes.