Culture · 6 pages · 12 min
Why north is not required to be at the top
North at the top is a habit of modern atlases, not a geographic requirement.
When the purchase is complete, return to the original window. It will refresh.
From the opening
A map can place any compass direction at the top of the sheet because the page is a drawing of relations among places. North-up is a widespread habit of modern atlases, and the ground itself does not pick an edge. The opening covers up on the page is chosen, east-up maps and the word orient, and an arrow need not point up.
The rest of the brief — the later sections and the reading notes — opens after Stripe confirms payment.
Inside
- Up on the page is chosen
- East-up maps and the word orient
- An arrow need not point up
- Turning the sheet can still work
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- East-up medieval European mappaemundi
- South-up world map of al-Idrisi