At a time when the mortality rate for distant maritime voyages was 50 percent, the Bible, legend, and lore gave birth to a sea full of extraordinary danger. The original "Carta Marina" was 23 square ...

In the last third of the 16th century, the Spanish crown set in motion a project to obtain a complete map of the New World. The method thought up for this was to use surveys, known as Relaciones ...

An exhibition in Austin, Texas, displays maps from 16th century Mexico. They were created by indigenous peoples to help Spanish invaders map occupied lands. NPR correspondent Wade Goodwyn reports.