In the Africa Reports.

The Africa Reports this week we're doing something a little different.

We're looking at calls by the African Union to change the world map that many of us have grown up with and are familiate.

It's called the Makata Map.

But what it does is it distorts the world view or the view of the world, and it makes Africa look much smaller than it really is.

And on any of these standard maps you'll find, for example, the island of Greenland looking as big, if not even bigger, than Africa, when in fact it could fit into this continent about fourteen times.

As I said earlier, this was a map designed by sailors to navigate, and what it's done is it's exaggerated the sizes of countries closer to the north pole, so that would include Greenland, but also Europe, Asia and North America.

But the AAU says size does matter and does impact our perception of ourselves and our place in the world.

Lorato Mute is the communications and digital marketing manager at Africa No Filter, and they're also pushing for the same campaign.

A very good morning and welcome to seven or two breakfast.

Good morning, Bongani, thank you why is.

This a big deal?

A map is a map, is a map is a map.

It's just one projection.

Why should we care?

Because it's not inconsequential.

Firstly, it is the longest lie in geography.

It needs to be corrected.

Most importantly, it has consequence.

You know, geography has history.

This misrepresentation of Africa is not technical.

It affects our narrative.

It's a narrative.

It says Africa is smaller, Africa shouldn't be significant in scale globally, and a few other things that are problematic.

But on the other hand, as I say, this is but one projection, there are others.

There's for example, I think the goal Peterson projection when you're compared it to the Makata that distorts west to east lines and it makes countries that are longer seen wider.

So every projection has its challenges.

Which one would you like to use?

The equal projection map from twenty eighteen is really as accurate as it comes, and it comes to representing the true sizes of continents and countries, and that is the one that asses African nor fill times speak up Africa are calling on governments or organizations on clussrooms in the educators to use the map that shows Africa's true size.

But is it all about size, because some projections don't just start size, and so relatively speaking, yes, you get that kind of accuracy.

But positioning is always a problem because you're essentially taking what should be on a globe and you're placing it flat.

You're going to gain something and lose somewhere else.

Absolutely when you will gain something and lose a few other things.

But what we have been able to established so far is that even with these answers that you mentioned, the equal projection map is as close to accurate as possible.

And the reason we believe that it is time for the world to use that for us as Africans, African institutions like the African Union, who has endorsed the campaign, it's because for the longest of time, the story of Africa has been the story of the other.

When do we get to tell our own stories, using our own facts and using our own realities.

So even though this may seem like a like it's just a map, you know, in reality it isn't just a map.

Think about a lot that you know about Africa.

Think about this narrative of conflict of dependency of laking agency of Africa being dependent on Western saviors.

Where does it come from?

Narratives develop over time, and narratives are boosted by everything else that are produced to bolster that narrative.

A map that was created for sixteenth century navigation, primarily for both navigation, cannot still hold this much influence in twenty twenty five.

What would you say when you beyly?

What would you say the critics who are saying, hang on though, as I explained in my introduction, that Macata map was designed that way for specific reasons.

It wasn't necessarily as a political tool.

And what we're now doing is we're taking a scientific instrument of cartography and we're politicizing it.

It's not politicizing it.

This map was It's from the sixteenth century.

It was for a specific reason.

It was to help It was for marinetime navigation, right, maritime navigation?

Yes, is that how we move around the world today?

No?

Is that what our world looks like today?

Is that how we navigated the world?

No, it isn't.

So why is it that a product that was created to address one thing, how both move across the oceans, becomes the infinitive map of the globe and why should the one that defiled to be the one that once again diminishes Africa.

It's not political.

Is this campaign gaining traction, are you getting support or are you please falling on deaf fears.

It's really good interaction.

The African Union and dous of the campaign officially last week Thursday.

We have a few other organizations that are joining the campaign.

So for organizations to join the campaign means you they just committed to using the right size map, the quite projections map.

The World Bank has already started using Equi Projections map when we engage them at the beginning of the campaign a few months ago.

We were pleasantly pleasant surprised to discover that they have actually been questioning the maps that they use and wanting to use the equal as projection map.

And then the process of doing there to the other organizations that have joined the campaign, and also the public can participate by signing a petition which is still ongoing and is still growing leaves and still getting numbers.

Listen, Loretto, I've been questioning this my whole life.

I remember noticing it when I was a kid in school, and what we're being told about the sizes of the continents and countries.

Wasn't squaring up with the maps they were showing us.

And maybe it starts with us, me starts with what African countries teach African children in our schools appreciate your time.

Loretto there is the head of Communications and Digital and she's part of the campaign at Africa No Filter to try and change the way we see the world.