The history of Dutch hydrography and chart-making is naturally closely bound up with Dutch sea power and largely follows, or at least followed until recent times, the history of the Netherlands at sea. For four centuries in Holland and for three and a half in the East and West Indies, Dutch surveyors have mapped and charted the coasts, fairways, rocks and reefs. Although in early chart-making a good deal was borrowed from other sources, the contribution of Dutch mapping to safe navigation, has, historically, been extremely important. The Dutch chart of today is a direct development of the traditions set up by the early chart makers.
