This map of Africa was published in the early 18th century. I compared it to a modern-day map of Africa, and as far as the general shape of the continent, it is pretty spot on (excluding Madagascar). My argument is that when this map of Africa was published the general goal wasn’t to further exploit the continent, but to historically document the current knowledge of scholars. It was published by a man named John Harris. He was a man who published works reflecting his scientific and religious background.
This map is a mixture of physical and abstract mapping concepts. In the northern part of the map and a little in the south, the physical features are shown: the black lines are a representation of the desert and terrain. On the edges of the map though, the abstract lines are drawn. They show the political states of Egypt, Congo, and Nubia to name a few. As you can tell, the countries mapped are primarily on the edges of Africa. This is probably because of the slave trade. Why go deep into a place you don’t know, when you can find what you’re looking for on the edge? That and if you spent too much time in Africa as a slave trader, your lifespan was quickly shortened due to being exposed to diseases that your immune system couldn’t fight off.
Although slavery was still a big industry, I think the map is a step forward. By drawing the abstract lines, they’re acknowledging that the people living in Africa have their own countries, and that it’s not just a vacant place filled with goods.
