est ▁path ▁between ▁two ▁points ▁on ▁Earth , ▁but ▁would ▁instead ▁follow ▁a ▁spir al ▁course , ▁called ▁a ▁lo x od rome . ▁These ▁lines , ▁also ▁called ▁rh umb ▁lines , ▁maintain ▁a ▁fixed ▁angle ▁with ▁the ▁mer id ians . ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁lo x od rom ic ▁curves ▁are ▁directly ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁N unes ▁connection , ▁also ▁called ▁navig ator ▁connection . ▁In ▁his ▁Tre at ise ▁in ▁Def ense ▁of ▁the ▁Marine ▁Chart ▁ ▁( 1 5 3 7 ), ▁N unes ▁argued ▁that ▁a ▁na ut ical ▁chart ▁should ▁have ▁its ▁par alle ls ▁and ▁mer id ians ▁shown ▁as ▁straight ▁lines . ▁Yet ▁he ▁was ▁uns ure ▁how ▁to ▁solve ▁the ▁problems ▁that ▁this ▁caused , ▁a ▁situation ▁that ▁last ed ▁until ▁Mer c ator ▁developed ▁the ▁projection ▁bearing ▁his ▁name . ▁The ▁Mer c ator ▁Pro jection ▁is ▁the ▁system ▁which ▁is ▁still ▁used . ▁ ▁First ▁maps ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁▁▁ 1 5 0 0 : ▁The ▁Spanish ▁cart ograph er ▁and ▁expl orer ▁Juan ▁de ▁la ▁C osa ▁created ▁the ▁first ▁known ▁cart ographic ▁representations ▁showing ▁both ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Africa ▁and ▁E uras ia . ▁▁ 1 5 0 2 : ▁Un known ▁Portuguese ▁cart ograph er ▁made ▁the ▁Cant ino ▁plan is phere , ▁the ▁first ▁na ut ical ▁chart ▁to ▁implicitly ▁represent ▁lat itudes . ▁▁ 1 5 0 4 : ▁Portuguese ▁cart ograph er ▁Pedro ▁Rein el ▁made ▁the ▁oldest