Pacific Winds Map, 1753


This 1753 map by Jacques Nicolas Bellin attempts to show the prevailing winds patterns in the Pacific. Discovering the prevailing winds was a major goal of European explorers who wished to discover the best and most efficient trade and sailing routes for their ships. The trade winds of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were widely understood and so it was believed that the Pacific would have similar patterns which had to be investigated.


Pacific | Pacific Region Maps


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by Stephen Luscombe