I just think it seems a little strange that we look at the countries like we do... America on the left, England in the middle, China & Australia etc on the right, when really the map could have an upside down iceland as the focus point for example!! I do understand that the North & South Poles have to be North and South obviously, but who says that North has to be upwards, when if your in space the north pole is still the north pole, it just might be on the left, the right or wherever?! So why do Globe's, maps etc illustrate it always on top?
Thanks!
2006-09-28 03:06:10 · 15 answers · asked by booleycat19 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Absolutely, brilliant point.
Of course - at one point map makers managed to convince us that the world was flat!...
2006-09-28 03:09:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh my. No wonder you're excited. General tips...take good running or walking shoes, there's lots of walking and standing on concrete. Take two pairs if you can so you can swap and let one pair air out while you wear the other. And take comfortable socks. I think I heard somewhere blisters are one of the top problems at the first-aid station. Get a map or Disney app so you're not stumbling around when you enter the park. You want to get right to those rides. :) And get to the parks early. Like before they open. Obviously you have to stay with your friends' family but don't be fooling with makeup while they're waiting on you, lol. I can't say I've every had bad food at Disney. Plenty of okay not-so memorable stuff but nothing bad. I like the counter-service places in Epcot. You can try a new cuisine without spending $20 or a couple of hours. The bakery in Norway is kind of overlooked, stop by and you might find something you like. I always get a Dole Whip in Adventureland, those are really good. There's too many rides to pick a favorite, I have a soft spot for (cough)Peter Pan's Adventure(cough) the boat ride in Norway and Splash Mountain. Mission:Space in Epcot is one of the most unique rides I've been on. A lot of folks people love Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller coaster more than anything else. If you don't know how fastpass works, google it. It's not complicated and will get you past a couple of the big lines. I'm not creative so I really don't have ideas for a countdown. Maybe get one of the online clocks or set your cellphone timer if you have one. Have fun, take pictures, and be nice to your friend's parents. :)
2016-03-26 21:15:47 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I was absolutely astonished when I first arrived at the airport in China because I saw a huge map of the world (made of gold?) in the arrivals area on the wall but America was on the right, whereas Europe was on the left! I went 'wow' and started taking pictures of it. The chinese people were looking at me as if I was a weirdo but I suppose they realised that where I'm from, the map is the other way around. So, wherever you are in the world, the map is made in a way that reflects the given area where you are in the centre of the map and everything else is realtive to that place. However, the North and South were agreed upon before so that we have an easier chance of locating ourselves. It certainly helped all those who sailed the sea in search of the new worlds, otherwise they wouldn't have got to the place they wanted to.
2006-09-28 03:24:39 · answer #3 · answered by Luvfactory 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its history and politics--who are and were the people making the maps? While people all over the world made maps, the modern view of the world was pretty much shaped by European explorers in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Those guys weren't making a map or globe with Europe on the bottom.
You could always start a company that makes upside down globes and maps to sell to Austrailians, but they might not like them--they wouldn't be 'down under' if the globe were made that way.
2006-09-28 03:17:54 · answer #4 · answered by wayfaroutthere 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is an ACE question! Thumbs up! I suppose it must be to do with politics and the people who first drew the maps and things, yes. American maps have America in the middle and the UK on the right, Japan and Russia on the left etc, that did freak me out when I first saw it. I still think UK maps make more sense though, coz we have the dateline down the edges and the Greenwich meridian down the middle.
2006-09-28 03:34:57 · answer #5 · answered by rainy-h 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do this for uniformity. If you have ever looked at a blue print, north is also always at the top. This is just a way to not confuse the masses by making a change that they may not understand or refute. Magnetic North as they say is what keeps our axis as it should be therefore should remain constant in all applications.
2006-09-28 03:10:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The maps we use commonly and the driving force behind them was European. There is also an inference that being at the top is like being, "at the top".
The mercator projection we are used to seeing is a good attempt at projecting a curved surface (the Earths) onto a flat object, but it is undeniably biased towards Europe and the Northern hemisphere.
the answer to your question is convention that stems from historical bias!
2006-09-28 03:18:05 · answer #7 · answered by gogs 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
england is only in the middle of maps made by europeans, american maps have america in the middle, indian maps have india in the middle, i have even seen a map with australia in the middle and at the top - well you wouldnt want your country relegated to the bottom corner would you!
2006-09-29 03:55:06 · answer #8 · answered by jen_82_m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is seen in relation with the NGP (Northern Galactic Pole) in the constellation Coma Berenices (Berenices'Hair).
2006-09-28 03:44:17 · answer #9 · answered by Nicolette 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the people that made the maps came from the top part of the planet.
2006-09-28 03:08:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋