Circumstances of Cartography in Brazil during 19th century and the necessity of a National Map of the Brazilian Empire

Abstract

In 1860’s several cartographical initiatives were organized around the newbie Ministério da Agricultura, do Comércio, e das Obras Públicas (Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and Public Works). Even with the presence of military institutions and officials, the creation of these works symbolized the increasing need of territorial knowledge by the imperial government. This work aims to reflect on these cartographical initiatives and how the agents of the period sought to produce maps best suited to administrative and territorial representation strategies, which culminated in the Carta Geral do Império (General Chart of the Empire) published in 1875 and 1876.