GEOGRAPHY 1001 – INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY
Joseph Naumann -- UMSL
Evolution of the World Map
A – Antiquity
B – Middle Ages
C – Age of Discovery
D – Modern Era
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).
Herodotus (450 B.C.) (recreation)
Antiquity
Frigid
Ekumene
Equator
Torrid
• 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.
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).
Eratosthenes (194 B.C.)
(reconstruction)
Antiquity
• Ptolemy (circa 150 AD)
–
–
–
–
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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.
Ptolemy's (150 AD) Ulm edition
world map, 1482
Middle Ages
• Period of decline
– The cartographic and regional approach was
lost in Europe.
– Representation of the world was “Christianized”.
– Orthodoxy replaced objective observation and
analysis.
– “T and O” Maps.
– Greek and Roman knowledge kept by the
Byzantine Empire and by the Arabs.
th
Macrobian World Map (5
Century)
Redrawing of Cosmas
Indicopleustes' World (6th Century)
World Map of Guido of Pisa, 1119
A.D.
Jerusalem, the Center of the
World
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.
Central America, 1514
Mappa Geographia Universalis (H
Sherer 1703)
Modern Era
• A complete world map
–
–
–
–
Early 20th century.
Complete and accurate view of the world.
Coordinate systems.
National inventories of resources.
• Information technologies
– Use of remote sensing (aerial photographs and
remote sensing).
– G.I.S. & Digital maps.
"The Living Earth" Satellite
Composite, 1995
Problem of Distortion
• All maps, by their very nature contain some
type of distortion.
– Converting a 3-dimensional spherical surface
to a 2-dimensional “flat” surface.
Essentials of a good map
• Title – view knows what to expect
• Grid – allows for easy, accurate locating
• Direction arrow or compass rose – to orient
the map to reality
• Scale – to allow one to relate distances on
the map to the actual distances on the earth.
• Key or Legend – so the viewer can
understand what the symbols and colors
represent.