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Africae Descriptio, Map, 1607

CONTENT WARNING

Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation. 

Context

Gerard Mercator (1512–1594) was born in Flanders, now known as Belgium. The son of a shoemaker, he graduated in 1532 from the University of Louvain, where he studied astronomy, geography, and mathematics. Afterwards he worked as an engraver, calligrapher, geographer, and a maker of scientific instruments. He also made globes and produced maps, including a map of the world first published in 1569 that was intended to help sailors navigate the globe. As a cartographer, his most important innovation was flattening the spherical planet into a two-dimensional map. The latitude and longitude lines were drawn in a straight grid. Known as the Mercator projection, it inflates the size of landmasses that are farther away from the equator so that places like Greenland are not the correct size or proportion. Despite the distortions found in these maps, his maps were highly regarded and are still in use for navigational purposes today.

Cartographer Jodocus Hondius (1563–1612) prepared this map for publication in Mercator's Atlas Minor, published in 1607. While quite detailed and relatively correct in shape, it is not a completely accurate depiction of the continent of Africa. It is unlikely that this map was used to navigate the waters to Africa, but it is likely that it would have been studied by someone in Europe wanting to learn more about Africa.


Citation: Mercator, Gerhard, (1512–1594). Africae Descriptio, 1607. G8200 1607 .M47 Voorhees Collection. Library of Virginia.

Standards

History:, USI.1, USI.2, USI.4, VUS.2, WG.1, WG.3, WHII.1, WHII.2

Science: 4.9, 5.6, ES.1, ES.8

Suggested Questions

Preview Activity 

Look at It: Look at the map. What do you notice about it? Why might it appear this way? 

Post Activities

Analyze: The map shows many settlements close to a source of water – why would this have been? What is the importance of water to building and maintaining civilizations? 

STEM Stat: During the 16th century, new geographic information was pouring in from around the world, trade routes were being established, and sailors, explorers, and merchants needed accurate maps. Mercator projection maps were used for navigation  and were effective, but the flattened perspective could lead to misconceptions about some locations. What misconceptions of the African continent might one have in looking at this map?