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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

France drops Mercator maps as Africa pushes for truer world view

Africa France Gerardus Mercator JeanNoël Barrot United Nations African Union
The Mercator and Eckert IV map projections show the different ways continents, including Africa, are represented.
The Mercator and Eckert IV map projections show the different ways continents, including Africa, are represented. © rench Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

France will stop using maps based on the traditional Mercator projection, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Friday – backing an African push for a more accurate representation of the continent.

The announcement comes as the United Nations General Assembly votes on Friday on a resolution calling for the world to move away from Mercator maps in favour of projections that more accurately reflect the true sizes of countries.

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