Why Is North at the Top of Maps?

Join me as we uncover why maps put north at the top, how this arbitrary orientation became the global standard, and why Earth never actually had a right way up. where to find me Instagram -   / dnlimb   TikTok -   / dnlimb   YouTube -    / @dnlimb   Sources & Further Reading: Ptolemy - Geography al-Idrisi - Tabula Rogeriana (1154) Gerardus Mercator - World Map (1569) History of Cartography Project - University of Wisconsin-Madison Meier & Robinson - research on north-south spatial bias NASA - Apollo 17 “Blue Marble” photograph 00:00 Why Is North at the Top? 00:24 There Is No Right Way Up 01:06 When Maps Pointed South 01:31 Ptolemy & the North-Up Map 02:04 Why North Finally Won 02:41 How It Became the Standard 03:09 Does “Up” Change How We Think? 03:55 The Earth Upside Down 04:21 Why North Feels Like Up #Maps #Geography #Cartography