It's Not The Size Of The Continent, It's How You Use It: Africa Is Mad It's Not Bigger On Maps

I thought we were past this, but apparently not: Africa is still not happy about how relatively small it looks on maps.

For years, people have complained that Europe and even Greenland look as big as Africa, when that’s nowhere near reality. I've even heard arguments — and I hope you're sitting down for this — that this is because of white supremacy.

Of course, it isn't and has nothing to do with how maps have been made for centuries, using what is known as the Mercator projection. 

This dates back to the 16th Century and solves the problem of having to draw a flat map of a round object like Earth. To pull this off, the places closest to the poles get stretched out, and that's why Greenland looks way bigger than it is in real life.

The Africa Union wants to fix maps because Africa's size is slightly off. (Getty Images)

Maps using this projection have become the standard, but, according to the Associated Press, the African Union, which has 55 member countries, wants this changed and for people to adopt a newer version called the Equal Earth projection.

This more accurately shows the size of the continent.

I get where they're coming from… but this should be way down the list of priorities for the continent of Africa.

First of all, everyone knows Africa is big. That's not news. We don't use maps as tools for cartographical d--k measuring contests, we just need the map to let us know where stuff is. 

Also, is there a real reason why this has been detrimental to the continent at large?

It's not like this discrepancy has cost tourist dollars, with countless people trying to decide whether to vacation in Africa or Greenland, looking at the map, then declaring, "Greenland it is, since, clearly, it is about the same size, possibly bigger!"

Hasn't. Happened.

Proponents of this change say it's all about accuracy, which I'm all in favor of. It just seems like there are bigger fish to fry than the relative size of your continent on maps.

I'm a firm believer that it's not the size of the continent, it's how you use it, but if this is what's important, instead of stopping wars, crime, famine, illnesses, etc., etc., etc., then by all means let's get these new maps fired up!