Residents of Ivory Coast may be surprised to learn today they apparently live in a landlocked country. That was just one of the mistakes on a map the US State Department displayed at a conference in Brazil this week, which mislabeled (and dramatically misshaped) six African countries. According to Reuters, the image also contained a watermark suggesting it may have been created using AI. The State Department called it an “unfortunate error,” saying a staff member created the image in a hurry.
Hard Numbers
Border disorder

Natalie Johnson
By Natalie JohnsonJuly 31, 2026
Natalie Johnson
Natalie Johnson is the Deputy Head of Content at GZERO Media and edits the GZERO Daily newsletter. Her career has spanned producing for broadcast cable news at outlets like MSNBC, VICE TV, and NewsNation, as well as writing for digital media. She's also the creator and co-editor of an anthology called "Black Love Letters," published in 2023 through John Legend's GetLifted book imprint. Natalie studied political science at Scripps College and holds a master's degree in sociology from Columbia University.

















