Gangnido, the oldest Extant Map of the Afro-Eurasia World

Did you know Korea has one of the oldest extant world maps?

HonilGangniYeokdaeGukdoJido (Gangnido for short) is a world map that was drawn in the early 15th century. Its name means “the map of the world to know.” It was created in 1402, ten years after the establishment of Joseon(1392-1910), by deputy prime ministers. It was made by integrating different maps from Korea, China, and Japan. What is surprising is that it included Africa, which is about 100 years earlier than any European maps.

This map includes East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Europe, and even Africa with the details of African coasts and the Nile. There was no comparable map with such level of comprehensiveness at the time. This map reflects Joseon’s advanced understanding of the world. How was Joseon able to create such an accurate map of the world? It indicates the height of Joseon’s literacy, science, and culture.

British historian Joseph Needham praised Gangnido as the best map of the time. This map was also used for the cover of “the History of Cartography: Cartography in the Traditional East and Southeast Asian Societies,” published by University of Chicago Press. In another book, “Cartographia: Mapping Civilizations,” co-authored by Vincent Virga and the U.S. Library of Congress, the authors evaluation was that there is no map comparable to this map, and it created a new Korea.