General Flat Map of the Five Continents of the Earth

General Flat Map of the Five Continents of the Earth Summer of the fifth year of the Guangxu reign 1879 In the fourth month, Mr. Yang of Shidai Shidai is a county in Anhui Province, China engraved this in the capital city of Paris, France.

This map, titled 'General Flat Map of the Five Continents of the Earth', was engraved in Paris in 1879 (5th year of the Guangxu reign) by an individual named Yang from Shidai, China. It is a rare example of a Chinese scholar learning Western engraving techniques abroad.

Oceans

Arctic Ocean
North Atlantic Ocean
South Atlantic Ocean
Southern Ocean
Indian Ocean
Great Eastern Ocean / Pacific Ocean The map uses both names, reflecting the transition in Chinese terminology for the Pacific.

Continents, Countries, and Regions

Asia
- China
- Russia
- Arabia
- India
- Japan
Europe
- France
- England
- Prussia A prominent German state at the time of the map's creation.
- Italy
- Spain
- Portugal
Africa
- Egypt
- Great Sahara Desert
North America
- Canada
- Alaska
- Mexico
- Greenland
South America
- Brazil
- Chile
- Peru
British Australia

Geographical Markers

The Equator

Tropic of Cancer original: "Summer Solstice Limit"

Tropic of Capricorn original: "Winter Solstice Limit"

Latitude and Longitude referring to the markings on the border

The following notes were originally in French at the bottom margin of the map:

This Map was engraved by Mr. Yang after 4 months of apprenticeship.

Under the Erhard geographical establishment

12 Denfert-Rochereau Street, Paris

Library Stamp of the National Library of France NATIONAL LIBRARY R.F. Republic of France GEOGRAPHY

Earth (地球 - Diqiu): Literally "the terrestrial sphere," a term popularized by Jesuit missionaries in China to describe the planet.
Guangxu (光緒): The reign name of the eleventh Emperor of the Qing dynasty, who ruled from 1875 to 1908.