This map, published by the Hungarian cartographer Francisco Wisner von Morgenstern in 1873, shows a topographical survey of Paraguay carried out between 1846 and 1858. At the time of its publication, Wisner, although based in Paraguay, was still a member of the Imperial and Royal Geographical Society of Austria and an honorary member of the Berlin Society.

The Chaco, the region west of the Paraguay River, had hardly been explored and, moreover, had not been explored at all, its sovereignty was still disputed with Bolivia. That is why the map covers only the eastern region of Paraguay, which was the territory that the state controlled and could systematically measure: the administered territory and not the claimed territory.

The reliefs are represented with topographic shading, while the hydrographic detail of rivers and lakes is shown in great detail in blue. Although the map legend is in French, the language of prestige in Europe at the time, the toponymy combines Spanish and Guaraní designations. The result is the most complete cartographic survey of Paraguay in the 19th century.

The public presentation of the map took place at the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873, where it was awarded a prize. Its presentation at this international showcase, and the prize it won, served as an instrument of sovereign claim at a time when the borders with Brazil and Argentina were being renegotiated, and Paraguay was in the midst of reconstruction after the war.

Sources

• Composite Map: Carte Topographique de la Republique du Paraguay . . . 1873