Ortelius, Abraham

Born Apr. 4, 1527; died June 28, 1598. Flemish cartographer.

In 1570, Ortelius published in Antwerp Theatrum orbis terrarum, a collection that included 53 maps with detailed geographic texts. The collection was supplemented and reissued several times over the years; in 1579, Ortelius added three historical maps. In the development of cartography, Ortelius’ collection played a part equal in importance to that of G. Mercator’s atlas.