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
Because 0 longitude is the “center” and the coordinates count up going east and west from 0. The Americas are west of 0 and Asia is east of 0.
The next logical question then becomes why is 0 set where it is. That is because when the world decided to standardize it, most of the maps were already drawn with 0 where it was. And they were drawn that way because for centuries prior England was the naval powerhouse of the world so maps were drawn based on what England was using. Naturally England was going to set the center “home” point in the middle of their own country.
So maps today are laid out the way they are because the English navy said so a couple of hundred years ago.
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