Who invented world map

If you would like to know more about the types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By clicking the "I accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies. Dating all the way back to the 6th century BCE, the Imago Mundi is the oldest known world map, and it offers a unique glimpse into ancient perspectives on earth and the heavens.

While this is the first-known interpretation of such a map, it would certainly not be the last. In this former location of the Roman Empire, Ptolemy was the first to use positions of latitude and longitude to map countries into his text Geographia. Although it shows several continents—Africa, Asia, and Europe—its main objective was to visualize Biblical locations.

For example, because the sun rises in the east, Paradise The Garden of Eden can be seen pointing upwards and towards Asia on the map. The original map was oriented south-up, which is why modern depictions show it upside down. The Jewish cartographer Abraham Cresques created the most important map of the medieval period, the Catalan Atlas , with his son for Prince John of Aragon.

After this, the Age of Discovery truly began—and maps started to more closely resemble the world map as we know it today. His milestone map closely resembles the oldest-surviving terrestrial globe, Erdapfel , created by cartographer Martin Behaim. And this at a time when Google, which offers users more than 20 petabytes of imagery, is working with far more material than a country can match.

Ordnance Survey, but without any peer-observation process," Brotton asserts. Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic. Popular Latest. The Atlantic Crossword. Sign In Subscribe. A 15th-century reconstruction based on Ptolemy's projections of the world Wikimedia Commons.

Wikimedia Commons. Christian Faith: Hereford's Mappa Mundi Territorial Exploration: Waldseemuller's Universalis Cosmographia Politicized Geography: Ribeiro's World Map Territorial Navigation: Mercator's World Map Commercial Cartography: Blaeu's Atlas maior National Mapping: Cassini's Map of France The invention of the marine chronometer transformed marine navigation—as ships were now able to detect both longitude and latitude.

His designs favored functionality over the decorative flourishes of cartographers past. His maps were famous for being updated based on new explorations, making them the most reliable map possible. It is worth mentioning that these ancient maps above are mostly coming from a European perspective. That said, the Islamic Golden Age also boasts an impressive cartographic record, reaching its peak partially in thanks to Muhammad al-Idrisi in the 11th century.

Similarly, Ancient Chinese empires had a cartographic golden age after the invention of the compass as well. Quite the contrary. While we know so much about our landmasses, the undersea depths remain quite a mystery. In fact, on average globally, women have just three-quarters of the economic rights of men. According to the World Bank, only 10 countries offer full legal protections to women, and all of them are in the Northern Hemisphere. In ranking countries, the institution considers indicators like equal remuneration, legal rights, and mobility.

A score of means that women are on equal legal standing with men across all areas measured. According to the report, there are 20 economies in the world where women still have half or fewer of the legal economic rights of men. Under Taliban rule, for example, women in Afghanistan have limited access to education and work.

In the Gaza Strip, women must have the permission of a male guardian to travel. In the U. S, women still earn an average of about 82 cents for each dollar earned by men, and the gap across many countries in Europe is similar. COVID has exacerbated existing inequalities that disadvantage girls and women, including barriers to attend school and maintain jobs, according to the United Nations. In fact, new research shows that the sectors that have been most affected by the pandemic so far are those with high levels of women workers, including the restaurant and hospitality business, as well as the travel sector.

Despite these distortions, his maps are still in heavy use. Though Mercator is best known for his cylindrical maps, he created various map types, like this spherical map. If you have ever seen a map of the world in a classroom or in an atlas , chances are you have seen the work of Gerardus Mercator, a 16 th -century Flemish cartographer mapmaker. His most famous work, the Mercator projection , is a geographical chart where the spherical globe is flattened into a two-dimensional map, with latitude and longitude lines drawn in a straight grid.

Mercator was born in Flanders located in modern-day Belgium in The son of a cobbler, Mercator grew up in a poor family. He graduated from the University of Louvain in , where he studied mathematics, geography, and astronomy.

After graduating, Mercator developed his skills as an engraver, calligrapher , and geographer, and then began making globes and scientific instruments. As his reputation grew, Mercator published several maps of places around the world.

These included an early version of his world map, which showed the globe as a heart-shaped projection. He continued studying the sciences and making maps and instruments for wealthy, and sometimes high-profile, clients. But in , Mercator was arrested under suspicion of heresy ; the traveling he did for research had made church officials wary. After spending a few months in prison, he was released and continued his studies. In , Mercator published his epic world map.

This map, with its Mercator projection, was designed to help sailors navigate around the globe. They could use latitude and longitude lines to plot a straight route.