France announces it will stop using the Mercator projection on official world maps. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot says the government is changing its mapping approach because the Mercator projection is misleading, particularly in how it represents the size of landmasses and regions.
The shift is framed as part of an effort to present a more accurate view of continental sizes. Euronews reports that the foreign ministry plans to adopt a different map projection that more closely reflects actual dimensions, with Africa highlighted as an area affected by Mercator’s distortions. RFI similarly describes the decision as aligning with calls from African countries for a truer depiction of the continent on global maps.
Both outlets describe the decision as a response to long-standing criticism of Mercator’s emphasis on equatorial and higher-latitude areas. While they do not detail the exact alternative projection to be used, both sources agree that France is updating its official cartographic choice to reduce perceived inaccuracies on world maps.
