1574 Isola Spagnola Nova

This important Ruscelli map of Hispaniola, from his work La Geografia di Claudio Tolomeo Alessandrino, is based on Gastaldi’s earlier map of the same region, dated 1548. Although the overall shape and orientation of the island are not entirely correct, many details are topographically accurate. Hispaniola is the second largest island in the West Indies, in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea. Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico are collectively known as the Greater Antilles. These islands are made up of continental rock, as distinct from the Lesser Antilles, which are mostly young volcanic or coral islands. The island has five major mountain ranges, all of which are delineated in the map. Major river systems are shown, and all cities, towns, settlements, fortifications and ports are depicted. The waters surrounding the island are rendered in stipple. Some islands in close proximity to Hispaniola are in place. Christopher Columbus landed on Hispaniola on December 5, 1492 an