North-Up Map Convention

Discussions center on the standard north-up map orientation, differences in compass directions and navigation between northern and southern hemispheres, and debates over alternatives like south-up maps for better intuitiveness with sun position.

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Keywords

e.g nationalgeographic.com InteractiveEarth NZ twitter.com Diags.pdf echalk.co Diags.p METEOSAT interactiveEarth.html north hemisphere south southern sun compass pole latitude west poles

Sample Comments

hcarvalhoalves Nov 8, 2013 View on HN

It's more useful when you keep the north at north.

dylan604 May 3, 2025 View on HN

what if you're in the southern hemisphere?

Groxx Jul 23, 2019 View on HN

As a quick example: north vs south hemisphere swaps this.

robk Jan 13, 2019 View on HN

Not everything is simply going north south on that axis

dschiptsov Feb 17, 2014 View on HN

Because a compass points there?)

Taniwha Apr 1, 2024 View on HN

If you face south in both hemisphere's it comes up on the same side - it's only if you face the equator that it's different

cafard Aug 18, 2013 View on HN

Next up: north is not really up, and south is not really down.

johnhenry Jan 1, 2019 View on HN

Anyone in the southern hemisphere confused about this?

stevage Oct 18, 2022 View on HN

It would be more useful configured for true north rather than magnetic north.

soperj Oct 19, 2022 View on HN

You'd be pointing South no? Or is this for the southern hemisphere?