Terra incognita

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For the album by French death metal band Gojira, see Terra Incognita (album).

Terra incognita is a term used in exploration for "unknown territory" that has not been mapped or documented. An urban legend claims that cartographers labelled such regions with "Here be dragons". Although cartographers did claim that fantastic beasts (including large serpents) existed in remote corners of the world, only one known surviving map, the Hunt-Lenox Globe, in the collection of the New York Public Library<ref>Guide to the Research Collections, Resources Elsewhere in the Collections pp. 207-208. New York Public Library. Retrieved on [[2006-08-22

Terra Incognita- what was written on globes and maps in the 1600's where things were unknown. 16th Century explorers hoped to discover and claim that land for their countries, as many did.]].</ref>, actually says "Here be dragons".<ref>Here Be Dragons on Old Maps. MapHist. Retrieved on 2006-08-22.</ref> (It uses the Latin, "hic sunt dracones".) Terra incognita may also refer to the imaginary continent Terra Australis.

During the 19th century Terra incognita disappeared from the maps, since both the coastlines and the inner parts of the continents had been fully explored.

Researchers use the phrase metaphorically to describe any unexplored subject or field of research.