Woodcut map of Asia, from Persia to the Pacific, by one of the foremost early German cartographers.

Well known for his editions of Ptolemy, Munster compiled this modern map of the continent from Portuguese and other recent sources. Identical to his map of 1540, India Extrema XIX Nova Tabula, it is one of the earliest maps devoted solely to Asia. A great improvement over Ptolemy, it shows improved coastlines (particularly as regards India and China) and accurate locations of cities. Still, knowledge of coastal detail and the interior is rudimentary. Many important interior features are absent, while those indicated are often inaccurate or wholly imaginary. Neither Japan nor Korea is shown, and the Pacific is dotted with an Archipelago of 7448 islands, described by Marco Polo.

This map was an important first step in the modern effort to accurately delineate Asia. It influenced generations of cartographers, and it remains a fascinating and fundamental map of the continent.