我国最早刻印绘制的世界地图,溯源于明朝。当时来我国的意大利传教士利玛窦,对此曾作出重要的贡献。 利玛窦(1552—1610)早年受过高等教育。他所处的时代正值西方风靡发展新航路,到东方探索的时代。当时的中国明朝政府日趋腐败,科学技术处于停滞,落后状态,地图绘制停留在以画方为主的基础上,以平面代替球面,图上缺少精密度必需的经纬线。世界地图的编绘尚属空白。利氏来华目的固然在于传教,但有鉴于此,他在明朝政府中某些官员的支持下,着手编 The earliest engraved map of the world was traceable to the Ming Dynasty. Ricci, the Italian missionary who came to our country at that time, made an important contribution to this. Ricci (1552-1610) had early years of higher education. The era in which he lived was at a time when the West swept the new route and went to explore the East. At that time, the Ming Dynasty government in China became more and more corrupt. Science and technology were in a state of stagnation and backwardness. The mapping was based on the painting side and the plane was substituted for the sphere. The map lacks the longitude and latitude lines necessary for precision. World map compilation is still blank. Although Lee's purpose in coming to China was missionary, but with the support of certain officials in the Ming government, he proceeded to compile