Early world maps

The earliest known world maps are from the 6th to 5th centuries BC. They show the world in a different and very simple shape. The developments of Greek geography during this time, notably by Eratosthenes and Posidonius led to Ptolemy's world map (2nd century AD). This was authoritative throughout the Middle Ages.
Since Ptolemy, cartographers got better knowledge of the size of the globe. With the Age of Discovery, the 15th to 18th centuries, world maps became increasingly accurate. Exploration of Antarctica, Australia, and the inside of Africa by western mapmakers was done in the 19th and early 20th century.