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From Classroom Walls to the Colonial Gaze: Rethinking the World Map

World map at night showing glowing areas of city lights across continents against a dark backdrop. Illuminated regions indicate population density.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Hanging at the back of every classroom is a world map, wide and comprehensive, detailing every ridge and curve of the place we call Earth. The different map projections that we use prioritise different features such as shape, area, distance or direction for accurate depiction. For instance, the Robinson projection is described as a “compromise” projection; it does not portray any attribute perfectly but instead tries to reduce overall distortion. Due to the spherical nature of the Earth, it is not possible to represent it perfectly on a flat plane. While these imperfections are inevitable, inaccurate map projections may have lasting effects.  


According to the Forum ERF Policy Portal, scholars have questioned whether the standard Mercator projection was a political tool that contributed to the scramble for Africa by various Western powers. By making the continent look small and ‘conquerable’, it could have played a role in the colonisation of Africa. The late 19th and 20th centuries saw the peak of colonialism where Western powers competed fiercely for colonies in Africa, Asia and the Americas. 


Created by Gerardus Mercator in 1569, the Mercator map is the most commonly used map projection. This method of mapping out our world tends to inflate areas near the poles. This results in the distortion of various areas, western countries primarily. An example of this distortion can be seen in the inaccurate representation of Africa’s size, making it appear smaller than it is. The continent of Africa has a landmass that measures 30.2 million km2, while Russia’s landmass is 16.4 million km2. However, when looking at the world map, the country of Russia looks visually larger compared to the continent of Africa.  


Another type of map used is the Gall-Peters Projection, an equal-area representation created in response to the shortcomings of the Mercator map. As suggested by the name, an equal-area projection retains the relative size of area throughout a map, thus maintaining the true size of features at any given region. In 2017, Boston became the first public school district in the United States to adopt the Gall-Peters projection. However, while the projection accurately reflects the size of countries, many cartographers criticise it for the distorted shape thereof.  


Largely, the Mercator Projection is said to create a bias, known as the Mercator effect, in viewers. According to the Borgen Project, the enlarged continents of Europe and North America place a greater emphasis on these areas compared to Africa, Asia, and South America and contribute to the devaluation of non-Western countries, thereby perpetuating Eurocentrism — the notion that the Western perspective is the most important in politics, culture, and history. 


Some examples of how Eurocentrism is present in our society can be seen through education curricula globally. Most school curricula focus on teaching the history, knowledge and values of Western cultures. This can be seen from the heavy focus that most textbooks have on European and North American history. The media’s disproportionate focus on Western events can also be seen as a product of Eurocentrism, ultimately creating biases in individuals due to a lack of diversity in reporting. Lastly, various international organisations are oftentimes led by Western powers. Institutions like the UN, IMF and the World Bank often have unfair decision-making power, favouring Europe and North America.  


This and other unconscious biases seep into our daily lives, and for many, one of those unconscious biases reflect in how we perceive Africa. To this day, there are still people who mistake the culture-rich continent made up of 54 separate countries as one homogenous country. It is essential to acknowledge that while map projections aim to represent our world accurately, they are still a reflection of the biases and prejudices prevalent in our society. 


Interestingly, a study by the Department of Geography from the University of Ghent showed that when polled, participants overestimated the size of Europe while estimating Africa and Asia fairly accurately. The study also posits that if the Mercator effect were true, individuals would overestimate the size of Europe and North America while underestimating the sizes of Africa and Asia. According to the researchers, one possible reason for the overestimation could be the topicality and frequent mention of Europe in the news. 


Thus, the misperception of Europe’s size is not only a result of the Mercator projection but may also be a consequence of other factors. Judging from the study, it can be deduced that the overestimation of Europe’s size points to the long-lasting effects that colonialism has on our society today; it is a manifestation of the value we attribute to the continent as a whole.  


Over time, Eurocentrism has become an ingrained ideology in our society. By evaluating non-European societies through a Western European lens, we ignore the richness present in other cultures, pigeonholing these cultures into stereotypes. Specifically for Africa, Eurocentrism has contributed and continues to contribute to a collective underestimation of the role that the continent plays in the international community. 


Among other things, Africa’s abundance can be seen through the numerous minerals (nickel, cobalt and uranium) found in African countries. According to Further Africa, 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land is located on the continent. 


Historically, Native communities created cartographies as well. In the Marshall Islands, coconut midribs, seashells, curved and straight sticks were used to create 3D maps. These projections were memorised by navigators and helped when they rode on their canoes. In Ancient China, regional maps of Guangdong provide a glimpse into the extensive history of the seaboard province. The details contained in maps created by locals and colonists would differ greatly from one another. 


Primarily, this can be traced back to the purpose of cartographies. For locals, they are used as a form of living history, to document their lived experience, making it a physical manifestation of their own culture. However, for colonists, they often focus on establishing boundaries and claiming territory, erasing the vast culture of locals in the process.


Moving forward, indigenous regional maps could be taught alongside a global map to enrich the school curriculum. Furthermore, schools could consider using the more visually pleasing Hobo-Dyer Projection instead of the Gall-Peters Projection. Besides education, reforming international organisations to ensure that African, Asian and Latin American states have equal power is important for different perspectives on global issues to be shared. This would make sure that European culture and values are not the only ones being highlighted, thus combating Eurocentrism. Similarly, investing in the development of media in these regions would ensure that there are varied opinions on global issues and decentralise Western ideology as the main idea.  


Ultimately, the Mercator map projection may not directly cause an underestimation of Africa’s size. However, the inflated perception of Europe’s size points to the idealisation and focus that we place on Western culture. As individuals, we should work to understand what our hidden biases are and ensure that we remain impartial in how we treat others. Furthermore, as a society, we should work towards removing Eurocentrism in our education, media and international organisations. Only then will we be able to create a better society for all to live in.



Edited by Tatenda Dlali


Megan Goh (she/her) is a writer at Political Pandora and a recent high school graduate waiting for university to begin. She is interested in current affairs and actively works to improve the communities around her through leadership and community service.



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Keywords: Mercator Projection, Gall-Peters Projection, Eurocentrism, Map Distortion, Africa Size Misrepresentation, Colonialism and Maps, Robinson Projection, Cartography Bias, Western Cultural Dominance, Equal-Area Map Projection, Historical Map Projections, Education and Eurocentrism, Global Map Accuracy, Indigenous Cartography, Africa Landmass Size, Media Eurocentrism, Hobo-Dyer Projection, International Power Imbalance, Geography and Colonialism, Map Projection Controversy

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