This map, dated 1780 and by an unknown author, depicts Rio de Janeiro and Guanabara Bay. The map refers to the city of Cadiz and all the text is written in Spanish, so it is possible that it was made by a cartographer from the Spanish Empire. The original document is currently preserved in the Library of Congress in the United States.

At the bottom right, in black, at the mouth of the bay, you can see a compass rose that marks the orientation of the entire map, with north in the upper left corner. All the settlements that existed at the time are shown in red, among which the following are noteworthy:

• Rio de Janeiro, on the western side of the bay and the most densely populated area of the entire bay. There are four main points of interest in the city: (A) Fortaleza de San Sebastián, (B) Fortaleza de la Concepción, (C) Convento de San Benito and (D) Convento de San Antonio.
• The Fortress of Santa Cruz, on the eastern side of the entrance to the bay.
• The Fortress of San Juan, on the western side of the entrance to the bay.

Rio de Janeiro had become the capital of the Viceroyalty of Brazil in 1763, so interest in the city was growing, and a few years later, it would begin to expand and become one of the most populous cities in South America.

Sources

• Map of the port of Rio de Janeiro – Library of Congress