What does Typus Orbis Terrarum mean?

Roughly 'image of the world'. It is the title of the world map in Ortelius's 1570 atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum ('theatre of the world').

Why is the Theatrum called the first atlas?

It was the first book to collect maps of the whole known world, drawn to one format with uniform text, and to credit its sources. The word 'atlas' was coined later by Mercator.

What is the big continent at the bottom of the map?

Terra Australis Nondum Cognita, 'the southern land not yet known'. Mapmakers assumed a huge southern continent existed to balance the globe; it was not based on exploration.

Is this an original or a reproduction?

A reproduction printed to order from a high-resolution scan of an original sheet, on matte fine-art paper, unframed or framed.

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Map · Abraham Ortelius · 1570

Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum (1570)

Typus Orbis Terrarum is the world map from Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, published in Antwerp in 1570 and generally regarded as the first modern atlas. The copper engraving is a 16th-century work and is in the public domain.

Ortelius's 1570 world map Typus Orbis Terrarum: an oval map of the world with a large southern continent, framed by strapwork and clouds — Abraham Ortelius, 1570. Source: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division (copies also at many other libraries).

History

Ortelius (1527–1598), a map colourist and dealer in Antwerp, had the idea of gathering the best available maps, redrawing them to a uniform size and binding them with text and a list of his sources. The Theatrum sold out its first printing and went through dozens of editions in seven languages; the world map opened every one of them.

The map draws on Gerard Mercator's 1569 world map and on Portuguese and Spanish charts. It shows a vast southern continent, Terra Australis Nondum Cognita, that geographers assumed must balance the northern landmasses, and North America with a speculative west coast. Ortelius revised the plate several times; the version reproduced here is the early state with the cloud-pattern border, the Latin motto on the bottom cartouche and the strapwork frame.

What the print shows

An oval projection of the world with the Americas on the left and Asia on the right, framed by a strapwork border and a cloud pattern in the corners. The great southern continent fills the bottom of the oval, and a Latin quotation from Cicero runs beneath it. The sheet is hand-coloured in the manner of the period: green coasts, yellow and pink territories, blue-washed seas.

The reproduction is a high-resolution scan of a complete sheet including its margins, printed in a 3 : 2 shape.

Source and licence

Source: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division (copies also at many other libraries).

Licence: Public domain. A map printed in 1570 carries no copyright, and scans of it are free to reproduce.

Also one of the eight maps in the Antique Map download set.

Available sizes and prices

Print: paper or framed Etsy listing 4548686352

Size	Paper	Framed
8 × 12 in (21 × 30 cm)	$29.99	$98.99
12 × 18 in (30 × 45 cm)	$44.99	$137.99

Printed to order, shipped in 2–5 business days, free US shipping. Paper: matte fine-art paper. Framed: real wood (black, white, wood, dark wood), shatterproof acrylic, ready to hang.

Buy

Abraham Ortelius 1570 World Map (print: paper or framed): buy on Etsy, from $29.99.
Also in the Antique Map Print Set download set, $27.99.

Frequently asked questions

What does Typus Orbis Terrarum mean?: Roughly 'image of the world'. It is the title of the world map in Ortelius's 1570 atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum ('theatre of the world').
Why is the Theatrum called the first atlas?: It was the first book to collect maps of the whole known world, drawn to one format with uniform text, and to credit its sources. The word 'atlas' was coined later by Mercator.
What is the big continent at the bottom of the map?: Terra Australis Nondum Cognita, 'the southern land not yet known'. Mapmakers assumed a huge southern continent existed to balance the globe; it was not based on exploration.
Is this an original or a reproduction?: A reproduction printed to order from a high-resolution scan of an original sheet, on matte fine-art paper, unframed or framed.

Sources

Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division (copies also at many other libraries)

Published 20 Oct 2026; prices are the live Etsy prices as of 20 Oct 2026. The work is public domain; this page's text is © ThinkDotCo and may be quoted with a link.