If the world is round can we make any point of the world the center in maps? Or is there a specific reason all the world maps show the continents in the same orientation?
In: 6
Yes, any conceivable point could be the center. For reasons of readability you wouldn’t really want the edge of the map to cut right through a landmass, so that leaves two real choices: have the edge go through the Atlantic or the Pacific.
Most (but not all) maps have the edge in the Pacific. The choice is basically arbitrary, but one possible reason to prefer it that way is that it puts the Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude) at or near the center and puts the antimeridian (and the international date line) at or near the edge. That way all of the western longitudes are to the left and the eastern longitudes are to the right, which is how we normally thing about those directions on a map. If you did it the other way, it would be the other way around.
Also, depending on the map projection used, there will usually be more distortion near the edges and less in the middle. The Pacific is wider than the Atlantic, so if your map is centered on the Pacific a lot of that “better” space is being taken up by empty water and tiny islands, while Europe, West Africa, and the Americas get squished.
Latest Answers