Map Is Not Upside Down
4 hours ago
- #geography
- #map orientation
- #cartography
- Conventional world maps typically place North at the top, but this orientation is not inherent and has not always been the case.
- Robert Simmon, a cartographer, created a 'south-up' map to challenge the north-up convention, making familiar geography appear disorienting and prompting viewers to reconsider map orientations.
- Historically, map orientations varied, with some ancient maps placing South, East, or other directions at the top, reflecting the tools and knowledge of the time.
- Early Chinese navigators used compasses that pointed South, which was their dominant reference point, unlike the modern North-pointing compass.
- The psychological tendency to associate 'top' with 'good' and 'bottom' with 'bad' can influence how we interpret maps, though the dominance of north-up maps was not deliberately designed to elevate certain regions.
- Ptolemy's use of latitude and longitude lines popularized the north-up orientation, making it easier for others to replicate and standardize maps.
- Simmon's map serves as both a geographical tool and a philosophical prompt, encouraging us to question traditional conventions and their impacts.
- The map includes detailed geographical features like countries, lakes, oceans, and cities, along with inset maps showing Earth's biosphere, land cover, and bathymetry.
- The 'south-up' map is part of a broader historical context where map orientations were more varied, challenging the modern default of north-up.
- The map's creation was supported by data sources such as Natural Earth, GEBCO, NASA/USGS MODIS Land Cover Classification, and NOAA VIIRS.