EDIT

        minZoom: 0,

        /**

         * allows the map to display parts of the layers which are outside

         * the maxExtent if the aspect ratio of the map and of the baselayer

         * are not equal

         */

        displayOutsideMaxExtent: true,

        customWMSBaseLayerData: {

            name: "Euro+Med",

            url: "http://edit.africamuseum.be/geoserver/topp/wms",

            params: {layers: "topp:em_tiny_jan2003", format:"image/png", tiled: true},

            projection: "EPSG:7777777",

            maxExtent: "-1600072.75, -1800000, 5600000, 5850093",

            unit: 'm'

        }

//    var dataProj = new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326");

      createLayers(options.baseLayerNames, options.defaultBaseLayerName, options.customWMSBaseLayerData);

      initMap();

        info += "<dt>map resolution:<dt><dd>" + map.getResolution() + "</dd>";

        info += "<dt>map max resolution:<dt><dd>" + map.getMaxResolution() + "</dd>";

        info += "<dt>map scale:<dt><dd>" + map.getScale() + "</dd>";

        info += "<dt>map extent bbox:<dt><dd>" + map.getExtent().toBBOX() + " (" + mapExtendDegree.toBBOX() + ")</dd>";

        info += "<dt>map maxExtent bbox:<dt><dd>" + map.getMaxExtent().toBBOX() + "</dd>";

     * Initialize the Openlayers Map with the base layer

    var initMap = function(){

//      var maxExtentByAspectRatio = cropBoundsToAspectRatio(defaultBaseLayer.maxExtent, mapWidth/mapHeight);

      // gmaps has no maxExtent at this point, need to check for null

          maxResolution = Math[(options.displayOutsideMaxExtent ? 'max' : 'min')](

                      defaultBaseLayer.maxExtent.getWidth() / mapWidth,

                      defaultBaseLayer.maxExtent.getHeight() / mapHeight

                    );

      console.log("mapOptions.maxResolution: " + maxResolution);

      console.log("mapOptions.restrictedExtent: " + defaultBaseLayer.maxExtent);

              // in its maximum extent into the available view port so that no additinal

              // IMPORTANT!!!

              // the maxResulution set here will be overwritten if the baselayers maxResolution

              // it is set

              // setting restrictedExtent the the maxExtent prevents from panning the

      // calculate the bounds to zoom to

      // zoom to the extent of the bbox

//      if(map.getZoom() > options.maxZoom){

//        map.zoomTo(options.maxZoom);

//      } else if(map.getZoom() < options.minZoom){

//        map.zoomTo(options.minZoom);

//      }

          newBounds.transform(layer.projection, map.getProjectionObject());

          map.zoomToExtent(dataBounds, false);

     var createLayers = function( baseLayerNames, defaultBaseLayerName, customWMSBaseLayerData){

       var i = 0;

       for(; i <  baseLayerNames.length; i++) {

       if(false && customWMSBaseLayerData){

            var wmsLayer = createWMSBaseLayer(

                   customWMSBaseLayerData.name,

                   customWMSBaseLayerData.url,

                   customWMSBaseLayerData.params,

                   customWMSBaseLayerData.projection,

                   customWMSBaseLayerData.unit,

                   OpenLayers.Bounds.fromString(customWMSBaseLayerData.maxExtent)

                );

           // FIXME remove HACK (customWMSBaseLayerData as default)

           baseLayers[i++] = wmsLayer;

           defaultBaseLayer = wmsLayer;

       }

      * @return the bboxstring projected onto the layer and intersected with the maximum extent of the layer

             // transform bounding box given in degree values to the projection of the base layer

             zoomToBounds.transform(CdmOpenLayers.projections.epsg_4326, layer.projection);

         } else if(layer.maxExtent) {

             zoomToBounds = layer.maxExtent;

             // no need to transform since the bounds are obtained from the layer

             // transform bounding box given in degree values to the projection of the base layer

             zoomToBounds.transform(CdmOpenLayers.projections.epsg_4326, layer.projection);

     /**

      * Creates a WMS Base layer

      * @param String name

      *     A name for the layer

      * @param String url

      *     Base url for the WMS (e.g.  http://wms.jpl.nasa.gov/wms.cgi)

      * @param Object params

      *     An object with key/value pairs representing the GetMap query string parameters and parameter values.

      * @param Object projection

      *    A OpenLayers.Projection object

      */

     var createWMSBaseLayer= function(name, url, params, projection, unit, maxExtent){

         if(maxExtent == null){

             maxExtent = CdmOpenLayers.mapExtends.epsg_4326.clone();

             maxExtent.transform(CdmOpenLayers.projections.epsg_4326, projection);

         }

         return  new OpenLayers.Layer.WMS(

                 name,

                 url,

                 params,

                 {

                   maxExtent: maxExtent,

                   projection: projection,

                   unit: unit,

                   isBaseLayer: true,

                   displayInLayerSwitcher: true

                 }

               );

     };