H. Habenicht, Amerikanisch-Spanischer Kriegsschauplatz (1898)

This German map was created by H. Habenicht in 1898 to illustrate the Spanish-American War. It further illustrates European colonial territories in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, military bases, and submarine cables used for telegraph communication. The war was fought in 1898 between the United States and Spain over Spanish colonial rule in the Caribbean. The war lasted a few months and ended with the Treaty of Paris, which granted Cuba its independence; forced Spain to cede Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States; as well as sell the Philippines to the United States for $20 million. Different colors indicate which country governed the area: green means it was governed by the U.S., yellow represents Spain, red for the British Empire, purple for France, orange for the Netherlands, blue for Denmark, and orange for Spanish-speaking countries. There is also an inset map included in the top left corner which shows the reach of the war across the Atlantic, and includes sea currents and trade routes.