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Posted by: Amelia Raines
It took centuries for European maps to accurately portray the route of Africa's third-longest river. Does its delta lie in Egypt, Senegal, or Nigeria - or could there even be two?
Posted in: 15th century cartography, 16th century cartography, 18th century cartography, 20th century cartography, African History, European History, Exploration, Hydrology, Physical Geography
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
John Ross, a British naval officer led three Arctic expeditions. In 1818 and 1829, he led expeditions to find the Northwest Passage. In 1850, he led a rescue mission to find survivors from Sir John Franklin's lost expedition. This post features maps related to John Ross's Arctic explorations.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, European History, Exploration, Military History
Posted by: Carissa Pastuch
This post highlights activities and events during the month of April in the Geography and Map Division.
Posted in: America 250, American History, Events, Exploration, Geography and Map Division
Posted by: Julie Stoner
While working as a Junior Fellow this summer, Champ Turner worked with a collection of maps of Brazil. In this blog post, he tells the story, through maps, of an expedition taken by Teddy Roosevelt and Cândido Rondon in 1913 down the River of Doubt in the Brazilian Amazon.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, Exploration, Guest Posts, South American History
Posted by: Lena Mattson
On July 1, 1957, an unprecedented period of global scientific collaboration known as the International Geophysical Year began. Artificial satellites were launched, planetary weather observations were made for the first time, the understanding of plate tectonics was established, and more. Learn how the Army Map Service played a critical role during the IGY, providing the calculations that launched the U.S. into the space race.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, Big Data and Visualization, Exploration
Posted by: Lena Mattson
The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean can be found about 100 miles north of Puerto Rico, in a trench where two tectonic plates meet. This post discusses the Puerto Rico Trench's unique geology and efforts to map it.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Exploration, Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography
Posted by: Tim St. Onge
Celebrate Geography Awareness Week and GIS Day at the Library of Congress on Thursday, November 21st from 5pm to 8pm with Mapping Our World, a special Live! at the Library event diving into ocean mapping and exploration! This event will feature a collections display, interactive games and crafts, and a talk by Dr. Vicki Ferrini of Columbia University on the history of ocean mapping.
Posted in: Events, Exploration, Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography
Posted by: Lena Mattson
Growing up in a Brazilian-American household, I’ve long appreciated the delicious versatility of the Atlantic cod, scientific name Gadus morhua, known to the Portuguese-speaking world as bacalhau in its preferred salted and dried form. It was only when I began working as a map librarian, however, that I saw how powerful cod truly was. Centuries …
Posted in: 16th century cartography, 18th century cartography, American History, European History, Exploration
Posted by: Cynthia Smith
Topographical maps of Venus are featured in this post. The transit of Venus is also discussed.
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Celestial Mapping, Exploration