Terra incognita refer to the hypothesized continent Terra Australis Incognita ("The unknown land of the South"), as seen in the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum map by Abraham Ortelius (1570). During the 19th century "terra incognita" disappeared from maps of the earth, since both the coastlines and the inner parts of the continents had been fully explored. But the bottoms of the seas remain mostly un-mapped, as do many other land surfaces in the solar system. The phrase is now also used metaphorically by various researchers to describe any unexplored subject or field of research. For more history of the terms, see Terra Australis,
Terra Alta, West Virginia Terra Alta, West Virginia Terra Alta is a town and former coal town in Preston County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,477 at the 2010 census. Terra Alta was originally called Portland, and under the latter name had its start in the 1850s. The present name Terra Alta is derived from Latin meaning "high land". The town is home to the James S. Lakin House and Terra Alta Bank, each listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Terra Alta is located at (39.444343, -79.544002). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area