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Map New Map of Africa. Africae Tabvla Nova

About this Item

Title

  • New Map of Africa.

Other Title

  • Africae Tabvla Nova

Summary

  • "Africae tabula nova" (New map of Africa) appeared in the first edition (1570) of Theatrum orbis terrarum (Theater of the world) by the Flemish scholar and geographer Abraham Ortelius (1527--98). The map is based on Giacomo Gastaldi's eight-sheet wall map of 1564 and on the 1569 world map by Gerhard Mercator and is the first to reflect accurately the knowledge gained by Europeans about the geography of the African continent from explorations of the previous century. The map remained highly influential until the 17th century. Ortelius introduced two changes from previous maps of Africa: he made the Cape of Good Hope more pointed and he reduced the eastward extension of the continent. The map includes, in the correct locations, place names that are still in use today, for example Mozambique, Benin, and Congo. It also employs more general terms, such as "Nigritarum Regio" (Kingdom of the Blacks). Theatrum orbis terrarum is considered the first true atlas in the modern sense: a collection of uniform map sheets and accompanying text bound to form a book for which copper printing plates were specifically engraved. The first edition was followed by other versions in Latin, Dutch, French, German, and Spanish, with an ever-increasing number of maps. Between 1570 and 1612, the atlas was issued in 31 editions and seven languages. The map shown here is from the fifth Latin edition, published in 1575. As with many other maps in the atlas, it was engraved by Frans Hogenberg (circa 1539-90).

Names

  • Gastaldi, Giacomo, 1500?-1565? Contributor.
  • Hogenberg, Franz, approximately 1539-1590 Engraver.
  • Mercator, Gerhard, 1512-1594 Contributor.
  • Ortelius, Abraham, 1527-1598 Creator.

Created / Published

  • Antwerp : [publisher not identified], 1575.

Headings

  • -  1575

Notes

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021668697

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Gastaldi, Giacomo, 1500?-1565? Contributor, Franz Hogenberg, Gerhard Mercator, and Abraham Ortelius. New Map of Africa. [Antwerp: Publisher Not Identified, 1575] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668697/.

APA citation style:

Gastaldi, G., Hogenberg, F., Mercator, G. & Ortelius, A. (1575) New Map of Africa. [Antwerp: Publisher Not Identified] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668697/.

MLA citation style:

Gastaldi, Giacomo, 1500?-1565? Contributor, et al. New Map of Africa. [Antwerp: Publisher Not Identified, 1575] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021668697/>.