Evolution of the World Map

1. Evolution of the World Map A – Antiquity B – Middle Ages C – Age of Discovery D – Modern Era

2. Antiquity • Herodotus (circa 450 BC) • Inspired by Pythagoras (530 BC) and his geometry. • Father of geography. • Basic physical and human geography. • Exploration and travel instead of geometry. • Coined the terms Europe, Asia and Africa (Libya). Accuracy Trade route Distance Familiar Accounts Legends “Terra incognita”

3. Herodotus (450 B.C.) (recreation)

4. Antiquity • Aristotle (circa 350 BC) • Considered physical elements such as the temperature and winds as factors of the human habitat. • Division of the world in 3 climatic zones. • Relationships between the environment (temperature) and human habitat. • One of the first physical geographer. • Judged impossible to cross to torrid equatorial zone and reach the antipodes. Frigid Temperate Torrid

5. Antiquity • Eratosthenes (circa 250 BC) • Formally assumed the earth was round. • Calculated the circumference of the earth. • 40,572 km versus the exact figure of 40,091 km. • Developed the concepts of parallel and meridian. • Consequently introduced the concept of geographical location. • Created modern cartography (cartographic plane).

6. Eratosthenes (194 B.C.) (reconstruction)

7. Antiquity • Ptolemy (circa 150 AD) • Refined the coordinate system. • Inventory of population and resources. • Describing the world. • 8,000 entries. • Relationships between the physical and human elements. • Created map projections. • His map would remain the most accurate until the age of discovery.

8. Ptolemy's (150 AD) Ulm edition world map, 1482

9. Middle Ages • Period of decline • Cartographic and regional approach was lost in Europe: • Representation of the world was “Christianized”. • Orthodoxy replaced objective observation and analysis. • “T and O” Maps (Orbis Terrae): • T is the Mediterranean (+ Nile and Black Sea). • O is the surrounding ocean. • Greek and Roman knowledge kept by the Byzantine Empire and by the Arabs. T-O map from the Etymologiae of Isidorus, 12th Century

10. St. Sever World Map after Beatus, 1030 AD

11. Age of Discovery • Exploration and innovation • The 15th and 16th centuries were characterized by numerous maritime explorations. • A commercial expansion of European nations. • Several technical innovations: • The compass, more precise maps. • Larger ships (they passed from 200 to 600 tons during the sixteenth century), better ship structures and the rudder. • Insure a safe, fast and therefore profitable maritime navigation. • Creation of the first accurate world maps.

12. The Americas, 16th Century

13. World Map, circa 1700

14. Modern Era • A complete world map • Early 20th century. • Complete and accurate view of the world. • Coordinate systems. • National inventories of resources. • Widely available atlases. • Information technologies • Use of remote sensing (aerial photographs and remote sensing). • Digital maps. • Mass diffusion through online accessibility.

15. Satellite Composite Image

16. A Virtually Navigable World