In our paper “Estudo de dois Mapas do Geografo Robert de Vaugondy relativos ao Reino de Portugal do Século
XVIII (1751)” (Study on two maps by Geographer Robert de Vaugondy representing the Kingdom of Portugal in
the 18th century), published in Revista Semina: Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Vol. 34, Issue No 1, 2013, we tried
to give an explanation for the administrative divisions that appear in
... [Show full abstract] those maps. After having studied a number
of texts dedicated to the period in question and other related documents, we came to the conclusion that the
most logic explanation for those divisions is that they represent ecclesiastical divisions. In this paper, we go further
in our analysis and compare these two maps with some current maps of Portugal, taking into account its topography,
hydrography, shoreline definition and settlements. Although there are some errors in his maps, we can conclude
that Robert de Vaugondy’s work, in terms of his knowledge and geographic representation of Portugal, was
the best anyone could do at the time, and we restate the idea that the two maps represent ecclesiastical divisions.