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‘A map is never neutral’: meet the cartographers who took on centuries of western bias
Resource type
Authors/contributors
- Holmes, Oliver (Author)
- Paz, Ana Lucía González (Author)
- Gutiérrez, Pablo (Author)
Title
‘A map is never neutral’: meet the cartographers who took on centuries of western bias
Abstract
Three cartographers have spoken of their astonishment at the UN’s near-universal adoption of a map they created to more accurately show the sizes of Africa and Europe, even though they have received a few complaints from some disgruntled diplomats.
The creators of the Equal Earth projection aimed to provide an alternative to the dominant 16th-century Mercator display, which critics have long faulted for giving the impression that northern hemisphere nations are larger than they are – and therefore subtly reinforcing perceptions of where global strength lies.
Publication
The Guardian
Date
2026-09-18
Section
Science
ISSN
0261-3077
Accessed
9/23/26, 2:31 AM
Short Title
‘A map is never neutral’
Language
English
Library Catalog
The Guardian
License
Colonialism, Indigenous Rights & Decolonization
Extra
Worldwide
Citation
Holmes, O., Paz, A. L. G., & Gutiérrez, P. (2026, September 18). ‘A map is never neutral’: meet the cartographers who took on centuries of western bias. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/sep/18/map-cartographers-western-bias-mercator-equal-earth
Geography
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