The Waldseemuller Map of 1507 and the View of the World

Maps and Cartography

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The map that historians designate as responsible for naming America is the subject of a profile in BBC News Magazine. The Waldseemueller Map of 1507 was the first map to use the label “America”. Tony Lester, the author of the recently released book, The Fourth Part of the World profiles the history behind this important map.  In addition, this map represents other firsts in the cartographic world.  The map was the first to show the New World as a separate continent and not as part of Asia as many explorers believed.  The map also was the first to show the entire coastline of Africa and it was also the first to show the Pacific Ocean.

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Waldseemueller Map of 1507

Waldseemueller Map of 1507. Source: Library of Congress

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