British Isles (1513)

Map drawn by german cartographer Martin Waldseemüller (1470-1520) published in Strasbourg in 1513. Waldseemüller undoubtedly used Italian portulans as a source for this woodblock map but apparently did not include the most recent available information. The basic outline was used on manuscipt charts of the late 14th century and it is difficult to identify some of the names on the map, probably due to errors made in copying from other maps but despite this it may still be described as the first "modern" map of the British Isles. The extensive naming of ports, especially of the Irish coastline and Eastern and Southern England, reveals the extent of trading and cultural connections which are known to have been established by the Phoenicians as early as 200 BC and continued in medieval times by the Genoese, the Venetians or the Aragonese.

Amongst the identifiable towns are Dover, Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth and Bristol. Following earlier traditional marine charts Ireland is pear-shaped and the "Purgatorium of St Patrick" is shown. The myth about the island off the coast of Ireland called "Brazil" is depicted not too far from the Irish west coast.