How did north become "up"?

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: The Green Bean

Originally posted by: deepred98
European cartographers

same reason europe is in the center of most maps

It is? :s

Yeah. Of course it's logical to put it there, because the world's largest ocean is on the opposite side of the world, and it makes sense for that to be on the outside edges of the map.

There was an episode of the West Wing that dealt with this topic briefly, as well as the mercator projection vs other projections.

Are you serious? Mercator sucks, by the way.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: The Green Bean

Originally posted by: deepred98
European cartographers

same reason europe is in the center of most maps

It is? :s

Yeah. Of course it's logical to put it there, because the world's largest ocean is on the opposite side of the world, and it makes sense for that to be on the outside edges of the map.

There was an episode of the West Wing that dealt with this topic briefly, as well as the mercator projection vs other projections.

Are you serious? Mercator sucks, by the way.

Serious about what? Well, yes I'm serious. I do think it's most logical to have the Pacific Ocean on the outer edges of the map. The next best place to divide it is the Atlantic Ocean, but then the center of the map is the world's largest ocean, with the largest land masses farther from center.

And I'm serious that this was a topic on the West Wing. Fifth episode of the first season: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Block_of_Cheese_Day

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: The Green Bean

Originally posted by: deepred98
European cartographers

same reason europe is in the center of most maps

It is? :s

Yeah. Of course it's logical to put it there, because the world's largest ocean is on the opposite side of the world, and it makes sense for that to be on the outside edges of the map.

There was an episode of the West Wing that dealt with this topic briefly, as well as the mercator projection vs other projections.

Are you serious? Mercator sucks, by the way.

Serious about what? Well, yes I'm serious. I do think it's most logical to have the Pacific Ocean on the outer edges of the map. The next best place to divide it is the Atlantic Ocean, but then the center of the map is the world's largest ocean, with the largest land masses farther from center.

And I'm serious that this was a topic on the West Wing. Fifth episode of the first season: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Block_of_Cheese_Day

Yeah about Mercator.

And yes having the Pacific on the outside is logical. That's why I hate those maps that put America in the middle, and then split Eurasia.

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: SirStev0

Originally posted by: her209
Like this comrade? link

that is very cool
looks completely different.

serious... it almost looks wrong until you really study it a few moments

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
And yes having the Pacific on the outside is logical. That's why I hate those maps that put America in the middle, and then split Eurasia.

Yeah, that would be terrible looking. Maps have a very artistic vein to them and an ugly map is hard to read.

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
And yes having the Pacific on the outside is logical. That's why I hate those maps that put America in the middle, and then split Eurasia.

Yeah, that would be terrible looking. Maps have a very artistic vein to them and an ugly map is hard to read.

Cartography is fun. I wish I could find a cartography job. Mapping oil leases is boring.... but at least I have nothing to do with servers or programming.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Cartography is fun. I wish I could find a cartography job. Mapping oil leases is boring.... but at least I have nothing to do with servers or programming.

I was a data extractor for a while and was given the choice of doing cartography, ortho, or staying where I was. I haven't looked back. I took another job in a data center, but I ended up coming back.

I do have to do some programming though, mostly using VB with ArcObjects.

 

[Amused]

Maybe it's because that's the way the compass needle points, thus it becomes the primary direction?

Who knows, but I can tell you standardization is a GOOD thing and why question a good thing?

 

[Baked]

Because that's where the compass needle always points.

 

[RossGr]

Originally posted by: Deeko
A) Rivers generlly flow N-S, making N "up" stream
B) This may be reversed in the southern hemisphere, I don't really know, but modern maps were generally made by people in the nothern hemisphere, sooo...there ya go

That's my take on the matter.

Unless you happen to live on the Nile, the Volga, or the Willamette.

I know people who drive UP to Portoland. I suspect they would still be going up to Portland, even if they threw an innertube in the Willamette River and drifted there.

 

[Spacehead]

Originally posted by: SirStev0

Originally posted by: her209
Like this comrade? link

that is very cool
looks completely different.

My God, we really do look like an aardvark!

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: dennilfloss
Peter North is always up.

Well played.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: RossGr

Originally posted by: Deeko
A) Rivers generlly flow N-S, making N "up" stream
B) This may be reversed in the southern hemisphere, I don't really know, but modern maps were generally made by people in the nothern hemisphere, sooo...there ya go

That's my take on the matter.

Unless you happen to live on the Nile, the Volga, or the Willamette.

I know people who drive UP to Portoland. I suspect they would still be going up to Portland, even if they threw an innertube in the Willamette River and drifted there.

I know there are ntable exceptions, but most still flow N-S.

 

[rbV5]

:music: I come from the land up over :music:

 

[BladeVenom]

Originally posted by: dennilfloss
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_159.html

That's interesting.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Deeko
A) Rivers generlly flow N-S, making N "up" stream

like the nile. and the rhine.

 

[WHAMPOM]

"cause North had a stationary marker up in the sky called the "North Star" before the magnetic compass.

 

[imported_Jdo]

Who decided what is left and what is right?

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: rival
I was hoping this to be about Peter North.

:Q

 

[nageov3t]

because we said so.

what's Australia gonna do about it, they're too busy tying themselves down to keep from falling off the wrong side of the planet.

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
South-up maps are banned here in Mississippi because they would make us Yankees. Also, the Northern Hemisphere is the best hemisphere. I'm a cartographer, so you can't argue.

I can't but I think dug can

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Deeko
A) Rivers generlly flow N-S, making N "up" stream
B) This may be reversed in the southern hemisphere, I don't really know, but modern maps were generally made by people in the nothern hemisphere, sooo...there ya go

That's my take on the matter.

WTF? Rivers flow in the direction of grade.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
http://www.odt.org/southupmaps.htm

You just completely ruined my views of the earth :Q My head is still spinning...

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Deeko
A) Rivers generlly flow N-S, making N "up" stream
B) This may be reversed in the southern hemisphere, I don't really know, but modern maps were generally made by people in the nothern hemisphere, sooo...there ya go

That's my take on the matter.

WTF? Rivers flow in the direction of grade.

That's for the geography lesson chief. I am aware of how that works...but most rivers do in fact end up flowing from north to south. You can't argue with statistics.

 

[Chaotic42]

From Wikipedia:
-
Some people think that most rivers flow from north to south.[5][6] Rivers in fact flow downhill regardless of direction, often in a complex meandering path involving all directions of the compass.[7][8][9]

Few major rivers in the continental US flow north, as most of the country is located in the watershed of the Pacific or Atlantic oceans or the Gulf of Mexico, with very few rivers flowing northward toward the Arctic Ocean, Great Lakes, or Hudson Bay. However, thousands of north-flowing rivers exist elsewhere, including such major watercourses as the Nile, Mackenzie, Rhine, Yenisei, Nelson, and Lena. Four of the ten longest river systems of the world flow mainly north.

Studying the flows of rivers is one aspect of hydrology.[10]
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