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Korea: The 'Kangnido Map' of the Eastern Hemisphere as known to the Chinese and Koreans in the 15th century, 1470 CE

Korea: The 'Kangnido Map' of the Eastern Hemisphere as known to the Chinese and Koreans in the 15th century, 1470 CE

The Honil Gangni Yeokdae Gukdo Ji Do ('Map of Integrated Lands and Regions of Historical Countries and Capitals'), often abbreviated as Kangnido, is a world map created in Korea (ca. 1470), produced by Yi Hoe and Kwon Kun, premised about a similar map that was introduced to Korea from Japan in 1402.

The Kangnido is one of the oldest surviving world maps from East Asia, along with the Chinese Da Ming Hun Yi Tu (ca. 1398). It is one of the most important materials for reconstructing the lost 14th-century original by the Chinese. As a world map, it reflects the geographic knowledge of China during the Mongol Empire when geographical information about Western countries became available via Islamic geographers.

It depicts the general form of the Old World, from Africa and Europe in the west to Japan in the east. Although, overall, it is less geographically accurate than its Chinese cousin, most obviously in the depiction of rivers and small islands, it does feature some improvements (particularly the depictions of Korea and Japan, and a less cramped version of Africa).

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