Cartography of Latin America, map-making of the realms in the Western Hemisphere, was an important aim of European powers expanding into the New World.
Maps for Spain also projected "its particular sense of order, religion, and justice, or what was understood as policía in its new colonies.
The Spanish crown mandated the creation of reports from indigenous towns in New Spain, the Relaciones geográficas, a major state-directed project for gathering information.
A useful collection of articles pointing to some major issues in New World cartography has recently appeared.
[6] As Latin America nation-states coalesced following independence in the early nineteenth century, map making was a standard national project.