The following is a list of notable extant historical maps.

Early world maps

Babylonian Map of the World The Babylonian Map of the World (or ''Imago Mundi'') is a Babylonian clay tablet written in the Akkadian language. Dated to no earlier than the 9th century BC (with a late 8th or 7th date being more likely), it includes a brief and partially los ...

(flat-earth diagram on a clay tablet, c. 600 BC) *''

Tabula Rogeriana The ''Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq'' ( ar, نزهة المشتاق في اختراق الآفاق, lit. "The Book of Pleasant Journeys into Faraway Lands"), commonly known in the West as the ''Tabula Rogeriana'' (lit. "''The Book of ...

'' (1154) *

Psalter world map The Psalter World Map or the Map Psalter is a small ''mappa mundi'' from the 13th century, found in a psalter. No other records of psalters found from the middle ages have a mappa mundi. The Psalter mappa mundi was likely used to provide contex ...

(1260) *''

Tabula Peutingeriana ' (Latin Language, Latin for "The Peutinger Map"), also referred to as Peutinger's Tabula or Peutinger Table, is an illustrated ' (ancient Roman road map) showing the layout of the ''cursus publicus'', the road network of the Roman Empire. The m ...

'' (1265, medieval map of the Roman Empire, believed to be based on 4th century source material) *

Hereford Mappa Mundi The Hereford Mappa Mundi is a medieval map of the known world ( la, mappa mundi), of a form deriving from the T and O pattern, dating from c. 1300. Archeological scholars believe the map to have originated from eastern England in either Yor ...

(c. 1285; the largest medieval map known still to exist) *Map of

Maximus Planudes Maximus Planudes ( grc-gre, Μάξιμος Πλανούδης, ''Máximos Planoúdēs''; ) was a Byzantine Greek monk, scholar, anthologist, translator, mathematician, grammarian and theologian at Constantinople. Through his translations from La ...

(c. 1300), earliest extant realization of

Ptolemy's world map The Ptolemy world map is a map of the world known to Greco-Roman societies in the 2nd century. It is based on the description contained in Ptolemy's book ''Geography'', written . Based on an inscription in several of the earliest surviving manusc ...

(2nd century) *

Gangnido The Honil Gangni Yeokdae Gukdo Ji Do ("Map of Integrated Lands and Regions of Historical Countries and Capitals (of China)"Kenneth R. Robinso Choson Korea in the Ryukoku Kangnidoin ''Imago Mundi'', Vol. 59 No. 2 (June 2007) pp. 177–192, via Ingen ...

(Korea, 1402) * Bianco world map (1436) *

Fra Mauro map The Fra Mauro map is a map of the world made around 1450 by the Venetian cartographer Fra Mauro, which is “considered the greatest memorial of medieval cartography." It is a circular planisphere drawn on parchment and set in a wooden frame ...

(c. 1450) * Map of Bartolomeo Pareto (1455) * Genoese map (1457) * Map of Juan de la Cosa (1500) *

Cantino planisphere The Cantino planisphere or Cantino world map is a manuscript Portuguese world map preserved at the Biblioteca Estense in Modena, Italy. It is named after Alberto Cantino, an agent for the Duke of Ferrara, who successfully smuggled it from Portu ...

(1502) *

Piri Reis map The Piri Reis map is a world map compiled in 1513 by the Ottoman admiral and cartographer Piri Reis. Approximately one third of the map survives; it shows the western coasts of Europe and North Africa and the coast of Brazil with reasonable accu ...

(1513) *

Dieppe maps The Dieppe maps are a series of world maps and atlases produced in Dieppe, France, in the 1540s, 1550s, and 1560s. They are large hand-produced works, commissioned for wealthy and royal patrons, including Henry II of France and Henry VIII of Engla ...

(c. 1540s-1560s) *

Mercator 1569 world map The Mercator world map of 1569 is titled (Renaissance Latin for "New and more complete representation of the terrestrial globe properly adapted for use in navigation"). The title shows that Gerardus Mercator aimed to present contemporary know ...

*''

Theatrum Orbis Terrarum ''Theatrum Orbis Terrarum'' (, "Theatre of the Orb of the World") is considered to be the first true modern atlas. Written by Abraham Ortelius, strongly encouraged by Gillis Hooftman and originally printed on 20 May 1570 in Antwerp, it consi ...

'' (Ortelius, Netherlands, 1570–1612) *''

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu Kunyu Wanguo Quantu, printed in Ming China at the request of the Wanli Emperor in 1602 by the Italian Catholic missionary Matteo Ricci and Chinese collaborators, the mandarin Zhong Wentao, and the technical translator Li Zhizao, is the earliest ...

'' (1602)

Notable atlases

*''

Atlas Maior The ''Atlas Maior'' is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and a ...

'' (Blaeu, Netherlands, 1635–1658) *''

Klencke Atlas The ''Klencke Atlas'', first published in 1660, is one of the world's largest atlases.

'' (1660) *''

'' (Blaeu, Netherlands, 1662–1667) *'' Cary's New and Correct English Atlas'' (London, 1787) *''

Andrees Allgemeiner Handatlas ''Andrees Allgemeiner Handatlas'' was a major cartographic work (general atlas) published in several German and foreign editions 1881–1937. It was named after Richard Andree (1835–1912) and published by Velhagen & Klasing, Bielefeld and L ...

'' (Germany, 1881–1939; in the UK as ''

Times Atlas of the World ''The Times Atlas of the World'', rebranded ''The Times Atlas of the World: Comprehensive Edition'' in its 11th edition and ''The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World'' from its 12th edition, is a world atlas currently published by HarperCol ...

'', 1895) *''

'' (United Kingdom, 1895) *'' Rand McNally Atlas'' (United States, 1881–present) *''

Stielers Handatlas ''Stielers Handatlas'' (after Adolf Stieler, 1775–1836), formally titled ''Hand-Atlas über alle Theile der Erde und über das Weltgebäude'' (''Handy atlas of all parts of the world and of the universe''), was the leading German world atlas ...

'' (Germany, 1817–1944) *''

Atlante Internazionale del Touring Club Italiano The ''Atlante Internazionale del Touring Club Italiano'' was a comprehensive world reference atlas first published by the Touring Club Italiano in 1927. In order to give Italy an extensive reference atlas modelled on foreign examples such as '' S ...

'' (Italy, 1927) *''

Atlas Mira The World Atlas (russian: Атлас мира, translit=Atlas mira, , lit=Atlas of the World) is the Soviet and later Russian atlas of the world. Predecessors Initially Russian cartography did not produce original work: the ''Atlas Marksa'' (1 ...

'' (Soviet Union/Russia, 1937)

Early regional maps

* Ancient Egypt **

Turin Papyrus Map The Turin Papyrus Map is an ancient Egyptian map, generally considered the oldest surviving map of topographical interest from the ancient world. It is drawn on a papyrus reportedly discovered at Deir el-Medina in Thebes, collected by Bernardino ...

(c. 1150 BC) *

Cartography of Europe The earliest cartographic depictions of Europe are found in early world maps. In classical antiquity, ''Europe'' was assumed to cover the quarter of the globe north of the Mediterranean, an arrangement that was adhered to in medieval T and O maps. ...

**''

Carta Pisana The ''Carta Pisana'' or ''Carte Pisane'' is a map probably made at the end of the 13th century, about 1275–1300, currently conserved in the Département des cartes et plans at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. New research suggests that it ...

'' (13th century) **

Corbitis Atlas The Corbitis Atlas (sometimes called the Corbizzi or Combitis) is a late 14th-century atlas of four portolan charts, composed by an anonymous Venetian cartographer, and currently held by the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice, Italy. Backgro ...

(late 14th century collection of portolan charts) *

Early Chinese cartography Chinese cartography began in the 5th century BC during the Warring States period when Cartography, cartographers started to make maps of the Earth's surface. Its scope extended beyond China's borders with the expansion of the Imperial era of Chi ...

**''

Da Ming Hunyi Tu The ''Da Ming Hunyi Tu'' ( Chinese for the "Amalgamated Map of the Ming Empire") is an extensive Chinese map. It was painted in colour on stiff silk and 386 x 456 cm in size.(Wang et al. 1994:51) The original text was written in Classical C ...

'' (late 14th century

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

Chinese map) *

Maps of Russia A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Althou ...

**''

Godunov map The Godunov map was an ethnographic map of Siberia commissioned by Alexis of Russia on 15 November 1667. The original is no longer extant, but two copies were made: one by Claes Johansson Prytz and the other by Fritz Cronman. It is named after ...

'' (1667) * Maps of Scandinavia **

Carta marina ''Carta marina et descriptio septentrionalium terrarum'' (Latin for ''Marine map and description of the Northern lands''; commonly abbreviated ''Carta marina'') is the first map of the Nordic countries to give details and place names, created by S ...

(c. 1530) ** Det Kongelige danske Søkortarkiv (1784) *

French cartography The history of French cartography can be traced to developments in the Middle Ages. This period was marked by improvements in measuring instruments and also by an upgrade of work in registers of all types. What is thought to be the oldest land map ...

: **Cassini maps (1756–1789) *

Cartography of India The cartography of India begins with early charts for navigation and constructional plans for buildings.Gole (1990) Indian traditions influenced TibetanSircar, 329 and Islamic traditions,Pinto (2006) and in turn, were influenced by the British ca ...

Survey of India The Survey of India is India's central engineering agency in charge of Cartography, mapping and surveying.

(1767) **

Great Trigonometrical Survey The Great Trigonometrical Survey was a project that aimed to survey the entire Indian subcontinent with scientific precision. It was begun in 1802 by the British infantry officer William Lambton, under the auspices of the East India Company.Gil ...

(1802–1858) * Maps of Korea ** Haedong Samgukdo * Cartography of Switzerland **

Dufour Map Dufour or ''variant'', may refer to: *Dufour (surname) Places *Dufourspitze or Dufour's peak, in the Swiss Alps *Julia Dufour, a village and municipality in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina Other uses *1961 Dufour, main-belt asteroid *Dufour Audit ...

(1863) **

Siegfried Map Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

(1895–1926) *

Cartography of the United States The cartography of the United States is the history of surveying and creation of maps of the United States. Maps of the New World had been produced since the 19th century. The history of cartography of the United States begins in the 18th ce ...

**''

Americae Sive Quartae Orbis Partis Nova Et Exactissima Descriptio ''Americae Sive Quartae Orbis Partis Nova Et Exactissima Descriptio'' (Latin: ''A New and Most Exact Description of America or The Fourth Part of the World'') is an ornate geographical map of the Americas, made in 1562 by Spanish cartographer Die ...

'' (1562) **New and Correct Map of the United States of North America

Abel Buell Abel Buell (1742–1822), born in Killingworth, Connecticut, was a goldsmith, silversmith, jewelry designer, engraver, surveyor, printer, type manufacturer, mint master, textile miller, and counterfeiter in the American colonies. In 1784, Buell ...

(1784) **

Samuel Augustus Mitchell Samuel Augustus Mitchell (1790, Bristol, Connecticut – December 20, 1868, Philadelphia) was an American geographer. He was born in Connecticut. Mitchell worked as a teacher before turning to publishing geography textbooks and maps. He became ...

(1867) **

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

, ''National Program for Topographic Mapping'' (1884) **''

War of the Rebellion Atlas The ''Atlas to Accompany the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'' (also referred to as the ''War of the Rebellion Atlas'') was published as a companion piece to the ''Official Records of the American Civil War''. It contains maps ...

'' (1895) * Maps of the United Kingdom **''The Brittania'' ( John Ogilby, 1670–1676) **

Principal Triangulation of Great Britain The Principal Triangulation of Britain was the first high-precision triangulation survey of the whole of Great Britain (including Ireland), carried out between 1791 and 1853 under the auspices of the Board of Ordnance. The aim of the survey was ...

(1784–1853)

Early world maps

Notable atlases

Early regional maps

See also