"Orbis Terrae compendiosa descriptio," in [Hendrik Hondius], Gerardi Mercatoris Atlas, sive, Cosmographicae meditationes de fabrica mundi et fabricati figura (Amsterdam, 1609)
This plate, entitled "A brief description of the world," is located toward the front of Mercator's 1609 atlas and serves as a pristine example of an early modern map created for educational purposes. This map depicts large land areas that were unknown to Europeans represented by blank space or symbols of wonder such as sea monsters and ships. Within the land areas of continents, further information is recorded about explorations to date. Mercator aimed for geographical accuracy but neglected to consider the presence or perspectives of Indigenous people in his representations of the world. (ACL)
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