A copy of a rare 16th century map known as "the birth certificate of America" has been discovered in Germany.

The map, by the famous cartographer Martin Waldseemueller, is credited with being the first to document and name the newly-discovered land of America.

It had been thought that Waldseemueller had only made four copies, but researchers at a Munich university have now discovered a fifth version.

Susana Mendonca reports.