Peru and Bolivia

Map of Peru and Bolivia chromatically delineated by the border lines as well as by the various regions of both countries. The map extends from the northern border between Peru and Ecuador to the southern border between Bolivia and Argentina and Chile. The map was published in 1855 in New York by J. H. Colton. Joseph Hutchins Colton (1800-1893) was a leading 19th-century American cartographer and publisher. He founded the company J.H. Colton & Co., which became one of the principal cartographic publishers of the United States. Colton produced detailed maps of America, with a special focus on the territorial expansion of the USA. His most important works include the “Colton’s Atlas of the World” (1855-1856) and maps of the American West during the expansion towards the Pacific. His maps were known for their artistic quality, detailed engravings and geographical precision. This map is highly detailed both in its urban topography and in its relief. Among some of the most important cities we can see represented are Lima, Trujillo, Paita, Cuzco, La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosí, Tupiza, Oruro, Tarija, Santa Cruz de la Sierra and the city of Sucre, represented on the map by its former name of “Chuquisaca”. As for the regional divisions of the countries, for Peru we find: Piura, Libertad, Amazonas, Junín, Ancachs, Lima, Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Arequipa, Cuzco, Puno, and Moquegua. For Bolivia, on the other hand, we find the regions of Beni, Santa Cruz, La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Chuquisaca, Tarija, Potosí and Atacama. Worth noting is the access to the sea that Bolivia had in the region of Atacama, for at the end of that same century it would lose sovereignty over that territory in favour of Chile. On the other hand, we see some important natural features such as the Andes range or Lake Titicaca among many others. The title is located in the lower left part of the map together with the scale. In addition, in the lower left part we find a small plan of the city of Lima, capital of Peru.