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Map of South America from 1601 – Descripcion de las Indias
“Descripcion de las Yndias de Mediodia”, Herrera y Tordesillas, Antonio de
Antonio de Herrera Y Tordelisllas was the official historian of Spain and the Indies.
He compiled a history of the Spanish conquests and early explorations in the Americas, which included this simply engraved map of the continent.
The map is largely derived from the handwritten charts of Juan Lopez de Velasco.
The continent is dominated by the enormous “R. de los Amazona” and R. de la Plato” and the western mountain range.
The “Meridiano de la de Marcacion” is shown, which divided the non-Christian world between Spain and Portugal.
Treaty of Tordesillas: This was named because it was drawn up in the city of Tordesillas, Spain, and signed there on 7 June 1494.
It was responsible for dividing the world along a meridian established 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. The land to the west belonged to Spain and the land to the east of this meridian belonged to Portugal.
