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Ignazio (Egnatio or Egnazio) Danti (April 1536 – 19 October 1586), born Pellegrino Rainaldi Danti, was an Italian priest, mathematician, astronomer, and cosmographer.
The Sultanate of Aceh, officially the Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam, was a Sultanate centered in the modern-day Indonesian province of Aceh. It was a major regional power in the 16th and 17th centuries, before experiencing a long period of decline. Its capital was Kutaraja, the present-day Banda Aceh.<br/><br/> At its peak it was a formidable enemy of the Sultanate of Johor and Portuguese-controlled Malacca, both on the Malayan Peninsula, as all three attempted to control the trade through the Strait of Malacca and the regional exports of pepper and tin with fluctuating success. In addition to its considerable military strength, the court of Aceh became a noted center of Islamic scholarship and trade.<br/><br/> The Aceh War, also known as the Dutch War or the Infidel War (1873–1914), was an armed military conflict between the Sultanate of Aceh and the Netherlands which was triggered by discussions between representatives of Aceh and the United Kingdom in Singapore during early 1873.<br/><br/> The war was part of a series of conflicts in the late 19th century that consolidated Dutch rule over modern-day Indonesia.
The Ch'onhado, literally 'Map of the world beneath the heavens', or sometimes Cheonha Jeondo, literally 'Complete map of the world beneath the heaven'), is a peculiar type of circular world map developed in Korea during the 17th century.<br/><br/> It is based on the Korean term for map, <i>chido</i>, translated roughly as 'land picture'.
The Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Chinese Qing dynasty to a number of European countries, the USA and Japan within the city of Tianjin.<br/><br/> There were nine concessions in old Tianjin altogether. These concessions also contributed a lot to the rapid development of Tianjin from the early to mid-20th century. The first concessions in Tianjin were granted in 1860. The last concession was ceded back to China in 1947.
Composed in Egypt in the first half of the 11th century, the 'Book of Curiosities' is a 12th/13th century cosmographical manuscript contains highly unique celestial and terrestrial maps, including the first known rectangular map of the world produced before the renaissance.<br/><br/> The geographical references are based largely on the first century work of Ptolemy but the manuscript contains previously unknown distinct cartographic features.
Diogo Homem (1521–1576) was a Portuguese cartographer, son of Lopo Homem and member of a family of cartographers.<br/><br/> Due to a crime of murder, in which he was connivent, he was forced to exile from Portugal, first in England, and then in Venice. It was there that he produced numerous manuscript atlases and charts, many of them of the Mediterranean.<br/><br/> The work of Diogo Homem is of an exceptional graphical quality and beauty, being kept in Italy, Austria, United Kingdom, France, the USA and Portugal.
The Madaba Map (also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map) is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George at Madaba, Jordan.<br/><br/> The Madaba Map is a map of the Middle East. Part of it contains the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem. It dates to the 6th century CE.
Tharangambadi, formerly Tranquebar, is a town in the Nagapattinam district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary of the Kaveri River.<br/><br/> It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and in Danish it is still known as Trankebar.
Reland's map of Japan was the first map to use Sino-Japanese characters on a European printed map and represents a radical departure from prior European maps of Japan.<br/><br/> Instead of following prior European maps and geographical sources, Reland utilized Japanese maps, most notably a map from the library of Benjamin Dutry, a former director of the Dutch VOC (East India Company). In some respects, this represented a tremendous leap forward in the geographical depiction of Japan, such as in the treatment of Kyushu and in naming the 66 provinces.<br/><br/> The map first appeared in 1715 in volume 3 of Jean Frederic Benard's 'Recuiel de voiages'. It was thereafter reissued by Reland and Wilehm Broedelet in a larger format in 1715, for inclusion in folio atlases. The plates from the enlarged edition were purchased by Joachim Ottens in about 1720 and thereafter reissued under his name and later the names of his sons, Josua and Reiner. Large inset of the area around Nagasaki and an ornate dedication cartouche, with about 20 coats of arms.
Tharangambadi, formerly Tranquebar, is a town in the Nagapattinam district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary of the Kaveri River.<br/><br/> It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and in Danish it is still known as Trankebar.
Katip Celebi, Mustafa bin Abdullah, Haji Khalifa or Kalfa, (1609, Constantinople – 1657 Constantinople) was an Ottoman scholar. A historian and geographer, he is regarded as one of the most productive authors of non-religious, scientific literature in the 17th-century Ottoman Empire.
Engelbert Kaempfer (September 16, 1651 – November 2, 1716) was a German naturalist, physician, and writer known for his tour of Russia, Persia, India, South-East Asia, and Japan between 1683 and 1693.<br/><br/> He wrote two books about his travels. <i>Amoenitatum Exoticarum</i>, published in 1712, is important for its medical observations and the first extensive description of Japanese plants (Flora Japonica). His <i>History of Japan</i>, published posthumously in 1727, was the chief source of Western knowledge about the country throughout the 18th and mid-19th centuries when it was closed to foreigners.
Astronomy in China has a very long history, with historians indicating that the Chinese were the most persistent and accurate observers of celestial phenomena anywhere in the world before the Arabs. Star names later categorized in the twenty-eight mansions have been found on oracle bones unearthed at Anyang, dating back to the middle Shang Dynasty (Chinese Bronze Age, 3rd - 2nd millennium BCE), and the mansion system's nucleus seems to have taken shape by the time of the ruler Wu Ding (1339-1281 BCE).<br/><br/> Detailed records of astronomical observations began during the Warring States period (fourth century BCE) and flourished from the Han period onward. Chinese astronomy was equatorial, centered as it was on close observation of circumpolar stars, and was based on different principles from those prevailing in traditional Western astronomy, where heliacal risings and settings of zodiac constellations formed the basic ecliptic framework.
The Armenian Genocide refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was implemented through wholesale massacres and deportations, with the deportations consisting of forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees. The total number of resulting Armenian deaths is generally held to have been between one and one and a half million.<br/><br/> Other ethnic groups were similarly attacked by the Ottoman Empire during this period, including Assyrians and Greeks, and some scholars consider those events to be part of the same policy of extermination.<br/><br/> It is widely acknowledged to have been one of the first modern genocides, as scholars point to the systematic, organized manner in which the killings were carried out to eliminate the Armenians, and it is the second most-studied case of genocide after the Holocaust. The word genocide was coined in order to describe these events.
The Armenian Genocide refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was implemented through wholesale massacres and deportations, with the deportations consisting of forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees. The total number of resulting Armenian deaths is generally held to have been between one and one and a half million. Other ethnic groups were similarly attacked by the Ottoman Empire during this period, including Assyrians and Greeks, and some scholars consider those events to be part of the same policy of extermination. It is widely acknowledged to have been one of the first modern genocides, as scholars point to the systematic, organized manner in which the killings were carried out to eliminate the Armenians, and it is the second most-studied case of genocide after the Holocaust. The word genocide was coined in order to describe these events.
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Its people include the Meetei, Pangal (Muslims), Bishnupriya Manipuri's, Naga and Kuki who speak different languages of branches of the Tibeto-Burman family.<br/><br/> The state is bounded by Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south, and Assam to the west; Burma lies to the east. It covers an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621 sq mi).
The Manusya-loka map represents the world according to the cosmological traditions of Jainism, an ancient religion of India. Human couples are seen in pavilions at different levels, with rivers and world-girdling oceans (blue rings) separating them.<br/><br/> The central continent - Jambudvipa, the island of the rose apple tree - has rivers and six mountains represented by rows with triangles, together with Mount Meru at centre represented by a yellow circle.
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea (Ancient Greek: Περίπλους τὴς Ἐρυθράς Θαλάσσης, Latin: Periplus Maris Erythraei) is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and the Indian subcontinent.<br/><br/> The text has been ascribed to different dates between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, but a mid-1st century date is now the most commonly accepted. Although the author is unknown, it is clearly a firsthand description by someone familiar with the area and is nearly unique in providing accurate insights into what the ancient world knew about the lands around the Indian Ocean.<br/><br/> Although Erythraean Sea (Ancient Greek: Ἐρυθρά Θάλασσα) literally means 'Red Sea', to the Greeks it included the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf.
Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet (born Tatton Benvenuto Mark Sykes; 16 March 1879 – 16 February 1919) was an English traveller, Conservative Party politician and diplomatic adviser, particularly about matters respecting the Middle East at the time of the First World War.<br/><br/> He is associated with the Sykes-Picot Agreement, drawn up while the war was in progress, regarding the apportionment of postwar spheres of interest in the Ottoman Empire to Britain, France and Russia.<br/><br/> François Marie Denis Georges-Picot (Paris, 21 December 1870 – Paris, 20 June 1951), son of historian Georges Picot and grand-uncle of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, was a French diplomat who signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement during World War I, with the Englishman, Sir Mark Sykes, dividing up the Ottoman Empire into British, French and, later, Russian and Italian spheres of influence.<br/><br/> He was responsible along with Sykes for the annexation of Arab lands and their incorporation into British and French empires.
The Madaba Map (also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map) is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George at Madaba, Jordan.<br/><br/> The Madaba Map is a map of the Middle East. Part of it contains the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem. It dates to the 6th century CE.
The Spratlys Archipelago in the South China Sea (called by Vietnam the East Sea) is disputed in various degrees by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The Paracels Islands are disputed between China and Vietnam, but have been controlled completely by China since 1974.<br/><br/> The Chinese claim is the most extensive and is generally indicated by a notional frontier termed by the Chinese the 'Nine Dotted Line' (nánhǎi jiǔduàn xiàn; literally 'Nine division lines of the South China Sea') and by the Vietnamese the 'Ox's Tongue Line' (Đường lưỡi bò).<br/><br/> The Nine-dotted line was originally an 'eleven dotted line' first indicated by the then Kuomintang government of the Republic of China in 1947 for its claims to the South China Sea. After the Communist Party of China took over mainland China and formed the People's Republic of China in 1949, the line was adopted and revised to nine as endorsed by Zhou Enlai. The 9-dotted line is subject to severe criticism and protest from many countries in the region. Immediately after China submitted to the UN a map including the 9-dotted lines territorial claim in the South China Sea on May 7, 2009, the Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest against China for claiming the whole of South China Sea illegally. Vietnam and Malaysia filed their joint protest a day after China submitted its 9-dash line map to the UN.<br/><br/>
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, iislets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia (Sabah), about one third of the way to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land area spread over more than 425,000 square kilometers of sea. The Spratlys are one of three archipelagos of the South China Sea which comprise more than 30,000 islands and reefs and which complicate governance and economics in that region of Southeast Asia.<br/><br/> Such small and remote islands have little economic value in themselves, but are important in establishing international boundaries. There are no native islanders but there are rich fishing grounds and initial surveys indicate the islands may contain significant reserves of oil and natural gas.<br/><br/> About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from Vietnam, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Malaysia and the Philippines. Brunei has also claimed an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the southeastern part of the Spratlys encompassing just one area of small islands above mean high water (on Louisa Reef.)
The Spratlys Archipelago in the South China Sea (called by Vietnam the East Sea) is disputed in various degrees by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The Paracels Islands are disputed between China and Vietnam, but have been controlled completely by China since 1974.<br/><br/> The Chinese claim is the most extensive and is generally indicated by a notional frontier termed by the Chinese the 'Nine Dotted Line' (nánhǎi jiǔduàn xiàn; literally 'Nine division lines of the South China Sea') and by the Vietnamese the 'Ox's Tongue Line' (Đường lưỡi bò).<br/><br/> The dispute is driven in part by the proven fishing reserves of the region, in part by unproven but supected oil reserves, and by competing national prides - especially between China (effectively backed by Taiwan) and Vietnam.
The Spratlys Archipelago in the South China Sea (called by Vietnam the East Sea) is disputed in various degrees by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The Paracels Islands are disputed between China and Vietnam, but have been controlled completely by China since 1974.<br/><br/> The Chinese claim is the most extensive and is generally indicated by a notional frontier termed by the Chinese the 'Nine Dotted Line' (nánhǎi jiǔduàn xiàn; literally 'Nine division lines of the South China Sea') and by the Vietnamese the 'Ox's Tongue Line' (Đường lưỡi bò).<br/><br/> The dispute is driven in part by the proven fishing reserves of the region, in part by unproven but supected oil reserves, and by competing national prides - especially between China (effectively backed by Taiwan) and Vietnam.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), commonly known as the Tamil Tigers, is a separatist organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka.<br/><br/> Founded in May 1976 by Velupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist campaign that sought to create Tamil Eelam, an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. This campaign evolved into the Sri Lankan Civil War, which was one of the longest running armed conflicts in Asia until the LTTE was defeated by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in May 2009.
The Hun Tian Yi Tong Xing Xiang Quan Tu (蘇州石刻天文圖) or Suzhou Star Chart (淳祐天文図) indicates 1434 stars grouped into 280 Asterisms in a chart of the Northern Skies.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.
Reland's map of Japan was the first map to use Sino-Japanese characters on a European printed map and represents a radical departure from prior European maps of Japan.<br/><br/> Instead of following prior European maps and geographical sources, Reland utilized Japanese maps, most notably a map from the library of Benjamin Dutry, a former director of the Dutch VOC (East India Company). In some respects, this represented a tremendous leap forward in the geographical depiction of Japan, such as in the treatment of Kyushu and in naming the 66 provinces.<br/><br/> The map first appeared in 1715 in volume 3 of Jean Frederic Benard's 'Recuiel de voiages'. It was thereafter reissued by Reland and Wilehm Broedelet in a larger format in 1715, for inclusion in folio atlases. The plates from the enlarged edition were purchased by Joachim Ottens in about 1720 and thereafter reissued under his name and later the names of his sons, Josua and Reiner. Large inset of the area around Nagasaki and an ornate dedication cartouche, with about 20 coats of arms.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the physical and metaphysical Universe (loka) and its constituents (such as living, matter, space, time etc.) according to Jainism, which includes the canonical Jain texts, commentaries and the writings of the Jain philosopher-monks.<br/><br/> Of all the dvipa (islands) Jambudvipa is very significant because it is in the center of the whole universe. Jambudwip is surrounded by a very high and broad wall. The wall is supposed to be made from precious gold, diamonds and such other jewels. Even the grill work is done by gold and diamonds. There are four mighty gates, protected by deities.<br/><br/> Jambudvipa continent has six mighty mountains, dividing the continent into seven zones (kshetra).
The Hun Tian Yi Tong Xing Xiang Quan Tu (蘇州石刻天文圖) or Suzhou Star Chart (淳祐天文図) indicates 1434 stars grouped into 280 Asterisms in a chart of the Northern Skies.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Armenian Genocide refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was implemented through wholesale massacres and deportations, with the deportations consisting of forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees. The total number of resulting Armenian deaths is generally held to have been between one and one and a half million.<br/><br/> Other ethnic groups were similarly attacked by the Ottoman Empire during this period, including Assyrians and Greeks, and some scholars consider those events to be part of the same policy of extermination.<br/><br/> It is widely acknowledged to have been one of the first modern genocides, as scholars point to the systematic, organized manner in which the killings were carried out to eliminate the Armenians, and it is the second most-studied case of genocide after the Holocaust. The word genocide was coined in order to describe these events.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
Sir Marc Aurel Stein (usually known as Aurel Stein) KCIE, FBA (Hungarian: Stein Márk Aurél) (26 November 1862 – 26 October 1943) was a Hungarian-born British archaeologist, mainly concerned with exploring ancient Central Asia. He was also a professor at various Indian universities.
The Hun Tian Yi Tong Xing Xiang Quan Tu (蘇州石刻天文圖) or Suzhou Star Chart (淳祐天文図) indicates 1434 stars grouped into 280 Asterisms in a chart of the Northern Skies.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Hun Tian Yi Tong Xing Xiang Quan Tu (蘇州石刻天文圖) or Suzhou Star Chart (淳祐天文図) indicates 1434 stars grouped into 280 Asterisms in a chart of the Northern Skies.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3000 pages of text.<br/><br/> It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards.
The term Turkestan is of Persian (ترکستان) origin; also spelt Turkistan, it literally means 'Land of the Turks'.<br/><br/> Today the term is used to describe a region which is inhabited mainly by Turkic peoples in Central Asia. It includes present-day Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang.
Coste Occidentale d'Afrique. Publiee par ordre du Comte de Maurepas en 1738. Taken from a work by Jacques Bellin (1703-1772)
Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the physical and metaphysical Universe (loka) and its constituents (such as living, matter, space, time etc.) according to Jainism, which includes the canonical Jain texts, commentaries and the writings of the Jain philosopher-monks.<br/><br/> Of all the dvipa (islands) Jambudvipa is very significant because it is in the center of the whole universe. Jambudwip is surrounded by a very high and broad wall. The wall is supposed to be made from precious gold, diamonds and such other jewels. Even the grill work is done by gold and diamonds. There are four mighty gates, protected by deities.<br/><br/> Jambudvipa continent has six mighty mountains, dividing the continent into seven zones (kshetra).
The Madaba Map (also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map) is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George at Madaba, Jordan.<br/><br/> The Madaba Map is a map of the Middle East. Part of it contains the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem. It dates to the 6th century CE.
The Spratlys Archipelago in the South China Sea (called by Vietnam the East Sea) is disputed in various degrees by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The Paracels Islands are disputed between China and Vietnam, but have been controlled completely by China since 1974.<br/><br/> The Chinese claim is the most extensive and is generally indicated by a notional frontier termed by the Chinese the 'Nine Dotted Line' (nánhǎi jiǔduàn xiàn; literally 'Nine division lines of the South China Sea') and by the Vietnamese the 'Ox's Tongue Line' (Đường lưỡi bò).<br/><br/> The dispute is driven in part by the proven fishing reserves of the region, in part by unproven but supected oil reserves, and by competing national prides - especially between China (effectively backed by Taiwan) and Vietnam.