Africae Tabula Nova information

Africae Tabula Nova ("New Map of Africa") is a map of Africa published by Abraham Ortelius in 1570. It was engraved by Frans Hogenberg and included in Ortelius's 1570 atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum ("Theater of the World"), commonly regarded as the first modern atlas. The atlas was printed widely in seven languages and 31 total editions between 1570 and 1612.

Africae Tabula Nova is largely based on a wall map published by Giacomo Gastaldi in 1564, while Paolo Forlani's 1562 map of Africa and Gerardus Mercator's 1569 map of the continent were also likely influences on Ortelius. Compared to earlier maps, Ortelius sharpened the shape of Southern Africa in Africae Tabula Nova, shortened the extent of North Africa from west to east, and reduced the eastward extension of Africa, in all cases better depicting reality. The map was also the first to include accurate information from European expeditions into portions of Africa's interior.

Cartographic historian Wulf Bodenstein called Africae Tabula Nova "a cornerstone map that represents a significant improvement over what we have seen so far", while cartographic archivist Ben Huseman notes that the map set "a high standard for European maps of Africa" and influenced later maps of the continent well into the 17th century.