The Map Was Lying To You: Why the UN Just Changed How We See Africa
For 450 years, the world’s most-used map has underrepresented Africa’s true size; the United Nations recently voted to alter how the continent is depicted. Al Jazeera reporter Basel Ghazoghli traces the map’s origins and explains why that portrayal persisted for centuries.
Why It Matters
The change reverses a long-standing visual misrepresentation that shaped how generations have seen Africa, meaning this update could affect global public understanding and educational materials. It matters because a widely used reference has for centuries conveyed an inaccurate sense of the continent’s scale, and the UN vote addresses that legacy.
Key Facts
- Duration of distortion: 450 years
- Problem identified: The world’s most-used map made Africa appear smaller than it really is
- Action taken: The United Nations voted to change how Africa is shown on the map
- Source reporting: Al Jazeera reporter Basel Ghazoghli produced the analysis
- Report focus: Ghazoghli traces the map’s creation and explains why the depiction persisted
For roughly 450 years, the map most commonly used around the world has presented Africa in a way that understates its size. That long-standing visual distortion has been highlighted in a recent move by the United Nations, which voted to alter how the continent is represented.
Al Jazeera’s Basel Ghazoghli examined the history behind the familiar map and traced its roots back four and a half centuries to explain how that depiction was produced and why it remained widely accepted. Ghazoghli’s report reviews both the map’s origins and the social and institutional reasons the image endured.
The UN vote marks a formal effort to correct a pervasive geographic misimpression that has been embedded in textbooks, media and everyday understanding. By changing the standard depiction, the decision aims to revise a visual reference that has for generations conveyed an inaccurate sense of Africa’s scale.
Ghazoghli’s piece serves as a reminder that maps are not neutral: the tools societies use to teach and understand the world can shape perceptions over long periods. The UN’s action seeks to update that tool and the way people around the world see the continent.
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