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Relaciones geográficas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Relaciones geográficas were special surveys sent out by King Philip II of Spain to his lands in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. This area was a large part of North America controlled by Spain. The king ordered these surveys to be done between 1579 and 1585. He wanted to gather information because of new rules, called the Ordenanzas, that were put in place in 1573.

What Were the Relaciones Geográficas?

These surveys were like long questionnaires. They had more than fifty questions! The questions asked about many different parts of life in the Spanish colonies. The main goal was to help the king govern these lands better.

First Statistical Study

Many people think these questionnaires were the first time anyone tried to collect statistics about the New World. They tried to map the land, count the people, and understand trade routes. Because the information came from people living there, these surveys are still very valuable today.

Why Were These Surveys Important?

These detailed questionnaires give us amazing information about the different groups of people living in Mesoamerica in the 1500s.

What Information Was Collected?

The questions covered many topics, including:

  • How the government worked
  • What taxes people paid
  • The natural environment and resources, like plants and minerals
  • How many people lived in an area over time
  • How towns and villages were set up
  • What languages people spoke
  • Where markets were and how trade happened
  • The history and customs of the native people
  • Maps of the areas
  • How well the "missionization" program was going, which was about converting native people to Christianity.

Who Made the Maps?

The maps requested for these surveys were made by many different people. This included native people, sailors, local officials, and even artists in New Spain. Some of these maps are now linked to famous Casta paintings from that time.

What Happened with the Results?

The information from these surveys was sent back to King Philip II in Spain. This helped the Spanish king have better control over the people and politics in New Spain.

Challenges and Biases

However, not all major cities and regions sent back their questionnaires. Some might not have returned them, or their answers might have been lost over time. Also, since many different people could send in maps, these maps sometimes showed what each social class thought was important. This also showed common problems of the time.

Even with these challenges, this way of collecting data was very scientific for its time. It helped connect the two continents of Europe and North America by sharing important information.

Where Are They Today?

Today, many of the original handwritten versions of these questionnaires can be found in four main places:

See also