ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Early modern Netherlandish cartography

Early modern Netherlandish cartography is all about making maps. These maps were made in the Netherlands which is a country in Europe that is known for its canals, windmills, and tulips.

So, let's imagine that you want to go on an adventure to explore the world, but you don't know where everything is located. A map can help you plan your journey and give you directions to get where you want to go, just like a treasure map.

To make a map, people in the early modern Netherlandish period used special tools, like compasses and rulers, to draw lines and shapes on paper. They used colors and symbols to show different things like mountains, rivers, and cities.

But how did they know where everything was located? Well, they used information gathered from sailors and explorers who had traveled to these places. They would study their notes, sketches, and descriptions to make accurate maps.

One famous early modern Netherlandish cartographer was Gerardus Mercator. He invented a special way of making maps, which we still use today. He created a flat map that could be used for navigation by sailors.

So, to sum it up, early modern Netherlandish cartography is all about making maps to help people explore the world. By using special tools and information from travelers, cartographers were able to create accurate maps that are still used today.