The Ptolemy world map is a map based on the description of the world contained in Ptolemy's book Geographia, written Circa 150. Although authentic maps of Ptolemy have never been found, the Geographia contains thousands of references to various parts of the old world, with coordinates for most, which allowed cartographers to recontruct Ptolemy's world view when the manuscript were re-discovered around 1300.

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The map distinguishes two large "closed" seas, the first one being the Mediterranean, the second one being the Indian Ocean (Indicum Pelagus), which extends into the China Sea (Magnus Sinus) in the East.

The major geographical locations are Europe, the Middle-East, India with an oversize Sri Lanka (Trapobane), the Southeast Asian peninsula (Aurea Chersonesusor "Golden Peninsula") and beyond it China (Sinae).

Ptolemy's Geographia and the maps derived from it probably played an important role in the expansion of the Roman Empire to the East. Trade throughout the Indian Ocean was extensive from the 2nd century, and many Roman trading ports have been identified in India. From these ports, Roman embassies to China are recorded in Chinese Historical sources are recorded from around 166.