"Terra Nostra is a celebration of the mapping of Canada-for Library and Archives Canada, it is also a celebration and a sharing of the extraordinary historical resource that is contained in its cartographic holdings. The collection spans an incredible array of mapping initiatives, from the portolan charts of the early explorers, to recent aerial images of east coast ice floes." "Canada's maps have been many things to many people: for early merchant-adventurers, they promised fame and fortune; for army commanders, they strengthened their hold on the land; for politicians, they legitimized their dominion over the country; for businessmen, they proclaimed their sense of community pride; and for ordinary citizens, they were testaments to the type of communities they wanted for their children. As repositories of intellectual thought, Canada's maps provide evidence of our nation's technical accomplishments and offer insight into the growth of our geographical knowledge. They are windows on our view of the world. Book jacket."--Jacket.