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The map that changed the world

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Author Topic: The map that changed the world  (Read 795 times)
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Kumbalek
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« on: October 29, 2009, 02:45:32 am »

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A wonderful map. But on the naming of America, there are at least three theories. It may come from the Amerrique region of Nicaragua. It's also been suggested that the name derives from Richard Ap Meryk (or Amerike), the main sponsor of John Cabot's voyages to Newfoundland (pre-dating Vespucci). See, for example, the article on Richard Amerike on the BBC website. Waldseemuller knew of the continent's name, and merely assumed that it was named after Vespucci.
Chris Jones, London

I thought that QI debunked this theory a few series back? Something about geographical features normally being named after last names e.g. Van Diemen's Land, Magellan Straits etc.?
Ross, Essex, UK

Richard Ameryk (also known as Richard ap Meryk/Meyrick), who was appointed the King's Customs Officer for Bristol in 1486, 1490 and 1497 and became chief sponsor for John Cabot's expedition to Newfoundland in 1497 is now thought to be the person for whom America was named. Countries and other geographical features tended to be named after surnames, not first names, so America would have been Vespuccia had the place been named for Amerigo Vespucci.


Hugh, Cambridge, UK

I was under the impression America was named after Richard Americk not Amerigo Vespucci or have I just been watching too much QI?
Marie, Amersham

I thought it was widely accepted now that America was named for Richard Amerike, the Bristolian merchant who funded John Cabot's voyages to Newfoundland, and not Amerigo Vespucci at all? As far as I know, even Vespucci himself said that America was not named after him.
Tim McNulty, Isle of Man

Well, if all this is true I can only hope that Stephen Fry and the QI team will let go of the idea that America is named after a Welshman called Richard Merrick and give credit to to Martin Waldseemuller and Matthias Ringmann for naming after Amerigo Vespucci.
Graham, Glasgow

I'm reading Ovid's "Metamorphoses" and in the creation myth at the beginning he is quite clear that the world is spherical, with ice at both poles and a very hot region in the middle, with temperate areas in between. He was writing at about the time of Christ. I didn't realise the ancient world knew so much geography.
Veronica, Henley

There is a great theory put forward by Gavin Menzies in his book: "1421 The Year China Discovered the World" and offers a solution how these "Germanic scholars based in the mountains of eastern France" could have come up with such a solution. The Chinese had circumnavigated the world and provided this information to the courts of Europe. In this he also considers the 1666 map by Nicholas Visscher, which shows the outline of Western Australia, drawn years before Captain Cook had "discovered" it.
Leyland Harrison, Essex, England

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