The African Union has joined a campaign calling for the widely-used Mercator map, which makes Africa appear smaller than it is, to be replaced with a map that more accurately reflects the continent's relative size.

AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters when the size of Africa is misrepresented on maps, the world's perception of the continent is also distorted, including in media, education and policy.

"It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not," she said.

Organizations such as Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa are leading the "Correct The Map" petition. As of Wednesday evening, the petition was about 800 signatures short of its goal of 5,000.

"By correcting the map, we aim to shift perceptions and highlight the true scale, power, and

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