1500: Upside-Down Map - Revision history

217.39.116.66: Geographical correction

2025-09-27T18:29:17Z

Geographical correction

Hdjensofjfnen at 01:46, 24 August 2025

2025-08-24T01:46:01Z

2001:67C:2628:647:37:1300:0:306 at 01:44, 24 August 2025

2025-08-24T01:44:23Z

162.158.146.52: Talking about the fact Thailand is colored as sea, and also the lack of apparent borders on Borneo. Also, the fact Sinai seemingly followed Egypt rather than Asia. These are inconsistencies that deserve callouts separate from the bottom list.

2024-09-03T21:14:14Z

Talking about the fact Thailand is colored as sea, and also the lack of apparent borders on Borneo. Also, the fact Sinai seemingly followed Egypt rather than Asia. These are inconsistencies that deserve callouts separate from the bottom list.

172.70.91.89: /* Trivia */ As promised by last edit.

2024-09-02T18:41:02Z

‎Trivia: As promised by last edit.

141.101.98.79: /* Explanation */ For flow reasons, removing the T&O exception from the end of the paragraph. Will re-add, with edits, as a Trivia item.

2024-09-02T18:09:10Z

‎Explanation: For flow reasons, removing the T&O exception from the end of the paragraph. Will re-add, with edits, as a Trivia item.

172.70.214.150 at 06:09, 13 March 2023

2023-03-13T06:09:17Z

172.70.91.152: Undo revision 308398 by 172.69.34.41 (talk) So I said something about this on the Map According To Americans talk. But I now think this is the vandaliser anyway.

2023-03-12T15:56:15Z

Undo revision 308398 by 172.69.34.41 (talk) So I said something about this on the Map According To Americans talk. But I now think this is the vandaliser anyway.

172.69.34.41 at 09:03, 12 March 2023

2023-03-12T09:03:03Z

172.71.178.186: Undoing a known article spoiler and accomplice IP with a biased political viewpoint.

2023-03-10T02:33:22Z

Undoing a known article spoiler and accomplice IP with a biased political viewpoint.

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 *{{w|Sri Lanka}} is located next to the {{w|Yamalsky District}} of {{w|Russia}}.
 *{{w|Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego|Tierra del Fuego}}, an island just south of the southern tip of South America, which is divided between {{w|Argentina}} and {{w|Chile}}, is now located in a similar manner next to {{w|Colombia}} and {{w|Venezuela}}, so it would probably have been divided between these two countries.
-*The {{w|Falkland Islands}} (not named in the map &ndash; they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
+*The {{w|Falkland Islands}} (not named in the map &ndash; they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Colombia}}.
 *The Mediterranean islands seem to have vanished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
 *{{w|India}} is nowhere near the {{w|Indian Ocean}}.

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 *{{w|Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego|Tierra del Fuego}}, an island just south of the southern tip of South America, which is divided between {{w|Argentina}} and {{w|Chile}}, is now located in a similar manner next to {{w|Colombia}} and {{w|Venezuela}}, so it would probably have been divided between these two countries.
 *The {{w|Falkland Islands}} (not named in the map &ndash; they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
-*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
+*The Mediterranean islands seem to have vanished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
 *{{w|India}} is nowhere near the {{w|Indian Ocean}}.
 *{{w|Norway}} almost touches the {{w|Philippines}}.

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 *{{w|Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego|Tierra del Fuego}}, an island just south of the southern tip of South America, which is divided between {{w|Argentina}} and {{w|Chile}}, is now located in a similar manner next to {{w|Colombia}} and {{w|Venezuela}}, so it would probably have been divided between these two countries.
 *The {{w|Falkland Islands}} (not named in the map &ndash; they are probably represented by the single island above the T in Tierra) where Argentina and the UK have an ongoing {{w|Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute|sovereignty dispute}}, could now be claimed by {{w|Ecuador}} or {{w|Peru}}.
-*The Mediterranean islands seem to have vanished entirely, as they are now in approximately the same place as {{w|Mongolia}}.
+*The Mediterranean islands seem to have va{{comic
 *{{w|India}} is nowhere near the {{w|Indian Ocean}}.
 *{{w|Norway}} almost touches the {{w|Philippines}}.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 This map is a comedic play on such maps, where each landmass is in the same position it would be in a traditional north-top map but rotated 180 degrees (presumably around some central point of the landmass) to the orientation it would have in a south-top map. Such a map is, of course, almost completely useless in real life, because it completely distorts the relative positioning of the landmasses. Moreover, it keeps the northern countries at the top of the map, which means one of the chief complaints about traditional maps is unaddressed.
-Note that individual islands are rotated about their own centers, rather than following the rotation of the neighboring continent; however, some are displaced as necessary to keep them from being overlapped by the rotated continents. For instance, {{w|Madagascar}} would be overlapped by the {{w|Sahara}} if it remained in position, but is instead displaced eastward to keep it in the Indian Ocean. On the other hand, all the islands of the {{w|Mediterranean Sea}} have disappeared under {{w|Asia}}.
+Note that individual islands are rotated about their own centers, rather than following the rotation of the neighboring continent; however, some are displaced as necessary to keep them from being overlapped by the rotated continents. For instance, {{w|Madagascar}} would be overlapped by the {{w|Sahara}} if it remained in position, but is instead displaced eastward to keep it in the Indian Ocean. On the other hand, all the islands of the {{w|Mediterranean Sea}} have disappeared under {{w|Asia}}. A landmass that follows a different rule is the {{w|Sinai}} peninsula. Instead of remaining part of Eurasia, it followed {{w|Egypt}} in rotating around {{w|Africa}}, becoming a separately outlined island in the process.
-Asia is so broad that almost the entire {{w|Indochinese Peninsula}} (with for instance {{w|Vietnam}} and {{w|Thailand}}) has been rotated out of the top of the map. Similarly, the map omits {{w|Antarctica}} in the south.
+Asia is so broad that almost the entire {{w|Indochinese Peninsula}} (with for instance {{w|Vietnam}} and {{w|Thailand}}) has been rotated out of the top of the map. Similarly, the map omits {{w|Antarctica}} in the south. Interestingly, Thailand in particular, presumably alongside the mainland portion of {{w|Malaysia}} at the tip of the Malay peninsula, has been omitted entirely, with the visible Thai borders instead outlining the edge between land and sea. Also, the portions of {{w|Borneo}} owned by Malaysia and the country of {{w|Brunei}} are not delineated from the {{w|Indonesia|Indonesian}} parts.
 To keep their familiar shapes on a rectangular map, the continents would also have to be heavily distorted compared to their actual shapes, becoming much narrower (along the lines of latitude) near the poles and wider towards the equator. See also [[977: Map Projections]].

@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 ==Trivia==
 Map projections are also the subject of [[977: Map Projections]]. In fact, if this comic was released later, it would certainly have "Bad Map Projection #''n''" on the top, and would be part of [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|the category]].
 {{comic discussion}}
 [[Category:Geography]]
 [[Category:Maps]]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-This comic plays on the idea that maps with the {{w|South-up map orientation|south pole at the top}} will "change your perspective of the world". Most world maps orient north in the upward direction, placing the north pole as the top. Such an orientation is purely a matter of convention, as 'up' and 'down' don't apply in a planetary context. The north = up tradition probably emerged because most historical cartographers hailed from the northern hemisphere, and placed their own nations at the top. Some people and groups object that this convention subtly, but perniciously, advances the assumption that countries in the northern hemisphere are inherently more important than those in the southern hemisphere. This is especially sensitive because most of the wealthier and more powerful countries in the world are in the northern hemisphere, while relatively fewer southern hemisphere countries have as much wealth or global influence. Early maps had eastern Asia oriented at the top of the map, beyond Israel and the Holy Land in the middle, and western Europe at the bottom.
+This comic plays on the idea that maps with the {{w|South-up map orientation|south pole at the top}} will "change your perspective of the world". Most world maps orient north in the upward direction, placing the north pole as the top. Such an orientation is purely a matter of convention, as 'up' and 'down' don't apply in a planetary context. The north = up tradition probably emerged because many historical cartographers hailed from the northern hemisphere, and placed their own nations at the top. Some people and groups object that this convention subtly, but perniciously, advances the assumption that countries in the northern hemisphere are inherently more important than those in the southern hemisphere. This is especially sensitive because most of the wealthier and more powerful countries in the world are in the northern hemisphere, while relatively fewer southern hemisphere countries have as much wealth or global influence.
 To remedy this, some advocate the use of maps with the south pole oriented at the top. Some want such maps in common use, while others simply use them to encourage people to rethink their assumptions about how the world should be seen. Such a map can easily be achieved by simply rotating a normal map 180 degrees, though the text labels would also be upside-down and harder to read. A [https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&q=upside-down%2Bmap%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bworld Google Images] search reveals many examples of upside-down maps with the text-oriented correctly for reading.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 *{{w|Japan}} is next to the coast of {{w|Portugal}} and {{w|Spain}}.
 *Madagascar lies next to {{w|Morocco}} and {{w|Mauritania}} on the east coast (formerly west coast) of the Sahara.
-*{{w|Taiwan}} (officially called the Republic of China) is now next to {{w|France}}. This might be a game-changer for the {{w|Cross-Strait relations}}, an ongoing rivalry with {{w|China|China}} (officially called the People's Republic of China).
+*{{w|Taiwan}} (officially called the Republic of China) is now next to {{w|France}}. This might be a game-changer for the {{w|Cross-Strait relations}}, an ongoing rivalry with {{w|China|mainland China}} (officially called the People's Republic of China).
 *{{w|Greenland}} lies next to {{w|Mexico}}.
 *{{w|Sri Lanka}} is located next to the {{w|Yamalsky District}} of {{w|Russia}}.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:56, 12 March 2023
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	==Explanation==		==Explanation==
−
−	{{notice2\|'''This article may contain something offensive to non-Americans.'''<br>''An edit war has occurred''<br>If you are in doubt, please [[Special:Random\|do not read]] further.\|image=semi-protection-lock.png}}
−
	This comic plays on the idea that maps with the {{w\|South-up map orientation\|south pole at the top}} will "change your perspective of the world". Most world maps orient north in the upward direction, placing the north pole as the top. Such an orientation is purely a matter of convention, as 'up' and 'down' don't apply in a planetary context. The north = up tradition probably emerged because most historical cartographers hailed from the northern hemisphere, and placed their own nations at the top. Some people and groups object that this convention subtly, but perniciously, advances the assumption that countries in the northern hemisphere are inherently more important than those in the southern hemisphere. This is especially sensitive because most of the wealthier and more powerful countries in the world are in the northern hemisphere, while relatively fewer southern hemisphere countries have as much wealth or global influence. Early maps had eastern Asia oriented at the top of the map, beyond Israel and the Holy Land in the middle, and western Europe at the bottom.		This comic plays on the idea that maps with the {{w\|South-up map orientation\|south pole at the top}} will "change your perspective of the world". Most world maps orient north in the upward direction, placing the north pole as the top. Such an orientation is purely a matter of convention, as 'up' and 'down' don't apply in a planetary context. The north = up tradition probably emerged because most historical cartographers hailed from the northern hemisphere, and placed their own nations at the top. Some people and groups object that this convention subtly, but perniciously, advances the assumption that countries in the northern hemisphere are inherently more important than those in the southern hemisphere. This is especially sensitive because most of the wealthier and more powerful countries in the world are in the northern hemisphere, while relatively fewer southern hemisphere countries have as much wealth or global influence. Early maps had eastern Asia oriented at the top of the map, beyond Israel and the Holy Land in the middle, and western Europe at the bottom.

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:03, 12 March 2023
Line 8:		Line 8:

	==Explanation==		==Explanation==
		+
		+	{{notice2\|'''This article may contain something offensive to non-Americans.'''<br>''An edit war has occurred''<br>If you are in doubt, please [[Special:Random\|do not read]] further.\|image=semi-protection-lock.png}}
		+
	This comic plays on the idea that maps with the {{w\|South-up map orientation\|south pole at the top}} will "change your perspective of the world". Most world maps orient north in the upward direction, placing the north pole as the top. Such an orientation is purely a matter of convention, as 'up' and 'down' don't apply in a planetary context. The north = up tradition probably emerged because most historical cartographers hailed from the northern hemisphere, and placed their own nations at the top. Some people and groups object that this convention subtly, but perniciously, advances the assumption that countries in the northern hemisphere are inherently more important than those in the southern hemisphere. This is especially sensitive because most of the wealthier and more powerful countries in the world are in the northern hemisphere, while relatively fewer southern hemisphere countries have as much wealth or global influence. Early maps had eastern Asia oriented at the top of the map, beyond Israel and the Holy Land in the middle, and western Europe at the bottom.		This comic plays on the idea that maps with the {{w\|South-up map orientation\|south pole at the top}} will "change your perspective of the world". Most world maps orient north in the upward direction, placing the north pole as the top. Such an orientation is purely a matter of convention, as 'up' and 'down' don't apply in a planetary context. The north = up tradition probably emerged because most historical cartographers hailed from the northern hemisphere, and placed their own nations at the top. Some people and groups object that this convention subtly, but perniciously, advances the assumption that countries in the northern hemisphere are inherently more important than those in the southern hemisphere. This is especially sensitive because most of the wealthier and more powerful countries in the world are in the northern hemisphere, while relatively fewer southern hemisphere countries have as much wealth or global influence. Early maps had eastern Asia oriented at the top of the map, beyond Israel and the Holy Land in the middle, and western Europe at the bottom.