WI: Atlantis Exists

This is probably overdone, but what would happen if there was a continent of Atlantis? Lets say it broke off of North America millions of years ago.

What would the climate be like? What kinds of flora and fauna would there be? How would this effect ocean currents/weather? When would the first human habitation occur? Who would live there?

Here is a map (I know it's not very detailed, but you get the idea)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Athanasius_Kircher's_Atlantis.gif

Edit: Also realized: Should this be in the ASB section?
 
I believe that Turtledove wrote an AH novel about such an eventuality, you might want to check it out, secondly, why is America west of africa on that map? or is atlantis supposed to be in the Pacific?
 
so the alien space bats make atlantis appear and then reverse the poles? now that would be interesting

Reverse the poles:confused: See the little compass on the map? See the arrow pointing down? That thar be pointing north! Discarding sarcasm, old maps frequently did not show north at the top. I've a few that show west at the top.
 
Reverse the poles:confused: See the little compass on the map? See the arrow pointing down? That thar be pointing north! Discarding sarcasm, old maps frequently did not show north at the top. I've a few that show west at the top.

North/south up is totally meh. A argument could even be made for putting south at the top (when you look at planets through a telescope thats the way they appear).
But west at top? What the holy cheese?
 
North/south up is totally meh. A argument could even be made for putting south at the top (when you look at planets through a telescope thats the way they appear).
But west at top? What the holy cheese?

Very early maps of the East Coast of North America. IMO, they did that 'cause they only knew the coastal regions and it's easier to look at a map side-to-side rather than up-and-down. Maybe also to start with the known areas close to hand and scan out to the unknown?
 
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