Geographic differences between XV century and current world

[Slash]

Hello all,

I'm in the process of generating the whole world data for expedition, and I'm using modern resources as a base, however since the world has changed a bit since XV century (mainly due to humans?) I was wondering if you could point me out at obvious things I should not miss.

I am looking for things like the channel of Panama, gigantic dams, big cities built over lakes...

[Darren Grey]

Deforestation in various places, including the Amazon and swathes of Europe (though much of that may have already happened by the fifteenth century).  Biggest change in terms of geographical area is probably the reduction in size of the Arctic ice cap.

I'm fairly sure there will be previous research into this that you should probably look for.  The game Colonization for instance includes a map of the Americas as it was before European explorers arrived.  Much of what was forest or fertile grasslands has since changed to tilled earth or dustbowl through human action.

[guest509]

  Aral sea has disappeared. Tons of deforestation all over the place. The Sahara has expanded. Panama Canal, some canal in Denmark, Suez Canal. Cities have moved and grown, but you probably don't care about that. Tunnels under the English Channel and other tunnels (like ones that link New York to the mainland). I"M pretty sure the Netherlands has changed quite a bit. Moldives is being swamped.

  Here. Could help. Mostly political.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world_map_changes

Jo