Portuguese craftsmen such as Agostinho de Goes Raposo, Francisco Gois and João Dias perfected the construction of nautical instruments. The Portuguese caravel – and its successors the great nau {1480} and the galleon {1510} – were also significantly better than other sailing ships of the time. Finally, with the Cantino Map of 1502, the Portuguese achieved a breakthrough in cartography: the first modern projection of the world's geography, with largely accurate depictions of the world's major continents aside from Australia and Antarctica {plate 7}.
( Niall Ferguson )
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