Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
What's wrong with this map?
The answer to the headline is this: Nothing much, really. You could say the map is upside
down, and you would be right to a point. After all, nowadays maps commonly have north
at the top. But considered as a planet in the multi-dimensional vastness of space, Earth
has no “right side up.” Thus, no compelling scientific reason exists as to why you can't
make a map with south toward the top — other than that it would look strange and con-
fusing to most people. Indeed, in olden times maps were oriented every which way. It was
only with growing availability and use of the magnetic compass in the early Middle Ages
that it became common to make maps with north toward the top, just as the compass
pointed. Hoping to end confusion regarding direction, in 800 A.D., Charlemagne decreed
that thenceforth all French maps would be made with north at the top, that direction to be
indicated by the
fleur-de-lis.
Other lands quickly followed suit. Thus, the emperor's edict
became and remains the global standard.
Latitude
The system of latitude lines has the following characteristics:
Lines of latitude run across the map (east-west) and are called
parallels
because each line
of latitude is parallel to every other line of latitude.
Theequator(Latitude0°)dividestheworldintothe
Northern Hemisphere
andthe
Southern
Hemisphere.
