Map of Spain
Publisher: Permin of
Copenhagen
Size: 75 x 61 cm
Fabric: linen
This is my favourite of my finished projects. It's an old map of Spain, with the old divisions instead of the new autonomous communities. The only thing I added to the design was the name of the town I live in, Roquetas de Mar, in the south-east.
History of maps
2000 BC The first known map was drawn by the Babilons about 4000 years ago representing a river crossing a valley.
1300 BC The Egyptians used maps mostly to define the limits of properties, as the Nile flooded over every year. However, there are also other types of maps, such as the map of Turin, which indicates the location of some gold mines near the Sinai. They drew their maps on papyrus and with the south at the top.
150 AD Claudio Ptolomeo, mathematician and astronomist living in Alexandria in the second century AD, made the first universal atlas based on his own measurements. In spite of the many mistakes, the basic shape of Europe and the Middle East can be distinguished. His mistakes were not corrected for over 1000 years.
776 AD During the Middle Ages, maps were symbolic references of religious character. The east is located at the top and Jerusalem in the centre.
1154 AD In the twelfth century AD, the Arabs drew many maps, using Ptolomeo's ideas and Arab observations. The south was located at the top and Mecca was placed in the centre.
1457 AD In this period maps were mostly used for navigation. They were drawn on scale and included distances and courses. The north was situated on top and Ptolomeo's mistakes were maintained, although bit by bit they became more precise as the use of the compass was getting more common.
1492 AD The first world globe was made by Martin Behaim of Nurenberg. It doesn't show America, as this was done before its discovery, but it does show the ecuador dividing the world in half.
1500 AD Juan de la Cosa, one of the sailors accompanying Cristopher Columbus, drew the first map of the New World.
1507 AD The first time the name 'America' was written on a map was on the one by Martin Waldseemüller. He drew his map based on the latest measurements and Américo Vespucio's travels.
1570 AD Gerardus Marcator designed a new type of cylindrical map, which allows to follow a ship around the world. These first maps showed the areas close to the Ecuador with a great exactness, but distances are very exagerated nearer to the Poles.
1858 AD The first sky photo was taken by Tournochon from a hot air balloon. This new technique was used to make more detailed maps.
1959 AD Since over 40 years, a big step ahead allowed maps to become much more precise with the use of satellites.
(source: Muy Interesante, Nov. 2000)
Netmaps http://www.netmaps.net
The fascinating world of maps and mapping http://oddens.geog.uu.nl/index.html
Carthographic images http://www.iag.net/~jsiebold/carto.html
