How did people know the exact shapes of countries and continents before we went into space?

Question

I've recently been looking at some maps from 1600 and 1700 and they shapes of the countries and continents are almost exactly perfect, how did they do it?

Answer 1

HI,

Chk this out its interesting

http://www.strangehorizons.com/2002/2002...

Answer 2

They used a sexton  and that gave them longitude and latitude point in degrees Ie Big Ben London is 51 Deg 30' 02' North.    0 Deg 07' 28. West.

Answer 3

This is the first printed map of the world in 1472, and also the 15th century Ptolemy world map.

http://www.1worldglobes.com/early-innova...

These maps have been constantly added to and improved over the years by explorers just re-drawing them in light of their adventures.

Extremely accurate maps were made long before space exploration, firstly by balloons and then by aerial reconnaissance photography, here are some of the ones used in the RAF, this photograph was taken five years ago at an RAF Photographers re-union.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2317/2540...

Notce in the above photograph a 'cradle' of these cameras being fitted into a Victor Bomber/Reconnaissance aircraft :

http://www.scribd.com/doc/512732/Handley... in service from 1952

Answer 4

The same way you would draw plans to build something, essentially.  Mathmatics and human persistence rule!

Answer 5

IT WAS NOT A EASY JOB

CIVIL ENGINEERS ARE TAUGHT DO ALL THESE

Answer 6

To put it in the simplest possible terms, people went to the places to be mapped and saw for themselves what the shape of the land looked like. Sometimes they did this by traveling along the coast form the land side, and sometimes they did it from the ocean side. They had to be very skilled in order for this to be done well.

Answer 7

Cartographers, sailed round the coastline and drew it.

Answer 8

By measuring distances when travelling.

Answer 9

Navigators & Explorers.

It just shows how clever people must have been.