Age Of Discovery Of Eurocentrism

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Introduction
Cartography in the period between 1250 and 1550 is defined by the Age of Discovery, and most notably the discovery of the New World in 1492. This period begins with the Portuguese claiming of Madeira in 1419, and continues until the 16th to 17th century. This essay will argue that Eurocentrism is the imposition of European culture and perspective upon the other nations of the world, and that maps over this time period became more Eurocentric by aiding in this process. European world maps made early in this period are defined by their Christian symbolism, which has ties to but is distinct from Eurocentrism. In the period during and after the Age of Discovery, maps are defined by their attempt to accurately represent the world, and …show more content…

These maps integrated knowledge from both previous traditions, namely the symbolic mappae mundi and more accurate charts of sailors. Previously, almost all world maps followed the conventions of the T-O maps, placing Jerusalem at the centre and having the world within a ring. With the Age of Discovery and especially the discovery of the New World, these conventions shifted to represent a new view of the world.16 These maps show a natural inclination to place the continents of the New World on the left of previous maps, shifting the centre of the world from Jerusalem to Europe, either consciously or not. The rulers of European colonising countries used these maps, which contributed to their perception of themselves as the centre of the civilised …show more content…

Created in 1569, the defining feature of the Mercator map is it's introduction of a projection system that is still in use today. The Mercator projection was created by Gerardus Mercator for use in nautical navigation, and is characterised by its ability to represent straight courses through rhumb lines.19 This map became the standard for most nautical use, and subsequently the most popular type of world map, even until today. The original version of his map notably distorts the sizes of continents, with North America vastly larger than it should be and Europe being displayed as equal in size to Africa. Although more accurate renderings have been made, this distortion is still present in maps today and is an example of Eurocentric bias, whether conscious or

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