The National Archives Learning Curve | British Empire | Rise of the British Empire | Africa | Source 1

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	Detail from map of Africa produced in Britain around 1626 (Catalogue ref: CO 700 Africa0)



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Catalogue ref: CO 700 Africa0; map of Africa, c.1626

Study this source carefully. Different parts of the source will contain clues about why the British became empire builders in Africa. As you study the source, ask yourself:

What does the map tell historians about how much British people knew about Africa around the time of 1626?
Is the aim of the map to help people to navigate around Africa?
Why do you think the artist has put figures around the edge of the map?
What information does the map give about the people, places and animals in Africa?
Does this give any clues as to who made the map, why they made it, and who it was for?

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