The Mercator – Hondius map of all of Asia, first published in Gerard Mercator's 'Atlas' of 1595, is derived from the northeastern sheets of Gerard Mercator's large wall-map of the world, 'Nova et Aucta Orbis Terrae Descriptio…' (1569). It was included for the first time in the Mercator atlas of 1595, and the plate altered, when Jodocus Hondius acquired Mercator's plates, and issued the atlas in 1606.

In the north, a Strait of Anian – "El streto de Anian" separates Asia and America, with the galleon at the mouth of the strait referring to the possibility of a trade route through the, as yet, still mythical northwest passage; to the left, there is a large and rather featureless Africa. Japan is shown as a kite-shaped archipelago, with a trailing string of small islands. To the south, there are two visible promontories of "Terra Australis Pars", with no indication as to whether they are joined, and a speculative New Guinea.

The islands of Southeast Asia are all well delineated, and filled with toponyms. The all-important Spice Islands are highlighted in a caption: "Molucce vocantur 5 insule ordine posite iuxta Gilolo, quarum suprema, Tarenate, Sequentes deinceps Tidore Motir Machiam et insima Bachian" - The so-called Moluccas are 5 islands placed in order next to Gilolo, the most important of which is Tarenate, followed by Tidore, Motir, Machiam, and the least, Bachian. As are islands further north: "Barusse insule precipue sunt 5 iste Min.danao Calon Subut cum reliquis duabus Circium versus. Sinde autem 3 precipue Celebes Gilolo et Ambon".

French editions of the Mercator - Hondius 'Atlas' were published in 1609, 1613, 1628 and 1633.

The mapmakers
Gerard Mercator (1512-1594) would not begin his great 'Atlas' or "Cosmography" until relatively late in life. The impetus for this came when he was employed as cosmographer to Duke William IV of Kleve, in 1563. Mercator's intention was to produce a work that consisted of five books and encompassed the whole world. The first book would cover the creation; the second the heavens; the third geography; the fourth history; and the fifth chronology. He intended to draw all the maps, write all the text and cut all the plates himself. Unsurprisingly, the ambitious project would require more time than he could afford to give it, and he was only able to complete a few of the parts: the creation; the maps for Ptolemy's 'Geographia' — part of the geographical section — in 1578; and four of the modern parts. The first three were published together in 1585 and included France, the Low Countries, and Germany. The fourth part, of Italy, the Balkans, and Greece, appeared in 1589.

Mercator died on December 2, 1594, leaving the responsibility for completion of the cosmography to his son Rumold. A number of maps still had to be engraved, and he employed various members of the Mercator family as engravers, including Gerard's grandsons Gerard and Michel. There was one further edition in 1602 before the plates were acquired by Jodocus Hondius (1563–1612) in July of 1604. They were probably acquired in Leiden at the auction of Mercator's library, then in the possession of his grandson, Gerard Mercator, Jr. Hondius built a successful publishing career from his own Mercator-Hondius atlas, issued as 'Gerardi Mercatoris Atlas Sive Cosmographicae', in 1606 with thirty-seven newly engraved maps, taking the total to one hundred and forty-four. A revised text was written by Petrus Montanus. In 1609 a French edition was published, with by now, one hundred and forty-seven maps.

After Jodocus Hondius I's death in 1612, his widow, Jodocus Hondius II and his brother, Henricus Hondius II (1597–1651), continued publishing atlases under his name until 1620. Unfortunately, in 1621 Jodocus Hondius II split with his brother, creating a rival publishing house. Henricus continued his father's business with his brother-in-law, Joannes Janssonius (1588–1664), who had married twenty-four-year-old Elizabeth Hondius in 1612. After 1619, the Atlas was published under the name of Henricus Hondius, Jodocus Hondius's son