Armando Cortesão

Armando Cortesão (31 January 1891 – 29 November 1977) was a Portuguese agronomic engineer, colonial administrator, cartographer, and historian of Portuguese cartography. He also competed in the men's 400 metres and men's 800 metres at the 1912 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Early life and education Armando Zuzarte Cortesão was born in 1891 at São João do Campo, near Coimbra, Portugal. He was originally trained as an agronomist, graduating in 1913. His elder brother, Jaime Cortesão, later became a physician and a well-known historian of Portugal.

Exile and later career Cortesão left Portugal in 1938, living in exile until 1952, working mainly in England and France. Unlike his brother Jaime, who focused on Brazil, Armando concentrated on the cartography of Portuguese expansion. He published extensively during his career, including numerous articles and edited volumes. In 1961 he joined the Committee of Management of Imago Mundi, the leading journal of the history of cartography, and became a member of its Board of Directors in 1966.