Who decided that North is "up" and South is "down"?

Question

That is, who decided that "towards the North pole will always be shown as being 'up' on maps, and towards the South pole will always be shown as being 'down' on maps". Why can't it be the reverse? How did all countries come to agree on which way North must be depicted?

Answer 1

Because, northern advanced civilization/ocean faring explorers were the first to utilize the compass. As it was passed on to other civilizations it was adopted as is.. Why would they switch it? It would've only caused confusion

Answer 2

There has to be universal standard with many things. However, most conventional maps appear this way and the more people began to travel they used the stars as a guide. If you took a look at old hand drawn maps, many of them do not have north facing the top of the page. Often a compas key will be drawn in later indicating the proper direction of north.

Answer 3

properly as a Southerner, I have not got any theory what Northerners think of of the South. Southerners think of of Northerners as extra aggressive, no longer as undemanding-going, often extra properly-to do.. people who circulate to the south additionally are many times happening as carpetbaggers.. however at the instant that's only used to tease. there is no actual animosity or something. those emotions, alongside with state's rights and something of this is been washed away via a hundred and fifty years of a concerted attempt via the U. S. to do away with Southern id. yet that's a diverse subject remember... from very own adventure i think of this is *often* real with reference to the less complicated-going way of existence in the South, yet of path there are exceptions. I only choose extra Yankees enjoyed candy tea. as quickly as I forget approximately and order it in a cafe up North I continuously get a befuddled seem.

Answer 4

The Europeans.

Answer 5

If you want to reverse it, turn the map upside down.

Answer 6

lol