How was it decided that North placed England, and not South Africa, at the top of our maps?

by erdub

Isn't it just as plausible that the North Pole (and with it, the "top of the world") could've been placed in Antarctica, rather than the Arctic Circle? How did our convention of the "up" and "down" on our maps come about?

Searocksandtrees

hi! this question has come up a few times. not discouring more input on it, but FYI, there are a couple of previous posts archived in the FAQ that can get you started

Why is north shown as "up" on maps?