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This finely engraved 17th-century map of Central America, covering present-day Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, reflects the geopolitical tensions of the time. It was produced during the height of European colonial competition, particularly between Spain and the Dutch Republic. Spain controlled much of the Americas through the Viceroyalty of New Spain, with Nueva Galicia and Guatemala as key administrative divisions. However, by the early 17th century, Dutch privateers and merchants increasingly disrupted Spanish dominance in the region, particularly through maritime raids and illicit trade networks.
Joannes de Laet, a director of the Dutch West India Company, compiled this map using the latest geographic intelligence from Dutch traders and explorers. The Dutch were in direct conflict with Spain as part of the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648), and their growing presence in the Caribbean and along the coasts of South America threatened Spain’s tightly controlled transatlantic trade. The Dutch had seized portions of Brazil, Curaçao, and other key ports, and this map reflects their broader interest in undermining Spanish control of the Americas.
De Laet’s Historia Naturalis Indiae Occidentalis was a critical work in shaping European knowledge of the New World, and its maps were among the most accurate of their time. This engraving captures not only the geography but also the shifting power dynamics of the 17th-century Atlantic world, making it a valuable artifact of both scientific and imperial history.
Presented with generous margins and a rich impression, this map is a significant addition to any collection focused on early colonial cartography and the geopolitical landscape of the Age of Exploration.