This map, drawn by the Chilean Jesuit Alonso de Ovalle in 1646, was published as part of his work. Historical account of the Kingdom of Chile.

The Kingdom of Chile is how the Captaincy General of Chile was popularly known, which existed as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1798. After several trips to Europe, Alonso de Ovalle was surprised at how little was known about Chile on the old continent, which led him to compile a series of books on its nature, its people, the Spanish conquest, the Arauco War and the process of evangelisation.

This map is considered the first historical map of Chile. It is oriented with north on the left and latitude markers from the Atacama Desert to Tierra del Fuego. The map does not include longitude data, and even the author admits his lack of knowledge in this regard, which was common at the time.

The Andes are depicted from north to south, although they are accompanied by a label identifying them as volcanoes. To the west of the mountain range are the many rivers that run through Chile from north to south, as well as some of its main cities and regions, such as Santiago, Valparaíso, Concepción and Chiloé. The map also features many animals and mythological creatures, apparently for pictorial purposes, mainly in the area corresponding to present-day Argentina.

To the southeast, beyond Tierra del Fuego, Ovalle represents the Terra Incognita. Although it is located in the same direction as Antarctica, this continent had not yet been discovered. Terra Incognita It is how all unknown regions where land was suspected to exist were represented on maps in the past.

Sources

• Geographical Map of the Kingdom of Chile