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You are here: Home / Geography / Why Do Maps Always Show the North Pole At the Top and What Does the Word Hemisphere Mean In Greek?

Why Do Maps Always Show the North Pole At the Top and What Does the Word Hemisphere Mean In Greek?

May 24, 2020 by Karen Hill

Most maps show the North Pole at the top not for any good reason, it has become a convention.

It’s just been the way most map makers through time, most of whom have lived in the Northern Hemisphere, have shown the world on paper.

Many common geographic terms are are derived from ancient Greek words.

For example, the word hemisphere means half a globe.

Thus the Northern Hemisphere refers to the northern half of the earth, the Southern Hemisphere means the southern half, and the Eastern and Western Hemispheres refer to the eastern and western halves of the globe.

Related Facts

  • How Cold Is the South Pole and Why Is It Colder At the South Pole Than At the North Pole?
  • What Time Is It At the North Pole, Does the North Pole Have a Time Zone, and What Time Do You Want It To Be?
  • What is used as a pole star in the Southern Hemisphere where navigators can't see the North Star?
  • Why Do Penguins Live in Antarctica at the South Pole and Not in the Arctic at the North Pole?
  • Why Is the South Pole Colder Than the North Pole and By How Much On Average?
  • Is the Weather the Same at the North Pole and at the South Pole?

Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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