Enterprising Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci gave his name to the Americas

Feb 24, 2017 1977

BY: Troy Lennon

WHEN German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller published his map book Universalis Cosmographia (Universal Cosmography) in 1507 it was meant to be the latest word in depicting the globe as people then knew it, showing the most recent discoveries.

Perhaps its most remarkable feature was a new continent. On the left of the map were two land masses across the Atlantic; the northern one marked “Parias” while the southern one was named “America”. At the time it was thought a strait separated Parias from America, but when it was later realised they were joined, the two land masses became known as North and South America.

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SOURCE: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au

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