Dudes! I'm currently reading a book called "Don't know much about geography" which despite being written for eejits has actually got me thinking lots about the World, and today it reminded me of sitting in a geography lesson when I was about 10, and being shown two maps. Both of the world.

One looked like this, and is the one we were all familiar with:

And the other looked like this:

"This is how American maps look." We were informed. I'm still not sure if that is true. So I'll ask Bloop now: Is that how American maps look?

Or do they look like this?

Hahaha, no, I'm only joking!

Anyway. It didn't make sense to us as a class of ten year olds why Asia should have to be sliced down the middle, so that America could claim central position. It didn't make sense that the International date line should appear as an unseemly squiggle across the near-centre of the page, to fuel Americaphilla.

We thought, and I still think, that the map familiar to Brits looks more correct. And not because "Our country is in the middle! Therefore it must be right!" But because the British map doesn't show a complete disregard for the Greenwich Meridian, from which our standard time is
calculated. And because on our maps everything known to us as "The west" is IN the West. And everything known as the East is IN the East. (Though yes, I'm aware that these notions of "the east" and "the west" are probably based on these maps!)

And I'm also aware that I probably only hold these views because the British map is the one I'm familiar with and have grown up with. I mean, look at all my personal pronouns! "Our", "Us," "We," It's something that is possibly just personal to myself as a British person.

In conclusion, because I always felt the British map looks tidier.

So I wanted to know what your thoughts were? Which map are you more familiar with? Do American maps generally involve America taking centre stage in the middle? Which map do you think is better?

Also, what do Aussie maps/ other country maps look like?

It's just to fuel my geography curiosities, yo!

Hahaha, I don't understand the 'mouse heads'. xD

Aye, first map looks more familiar to me. Makes sense in terms of timezones - it's more linear (well it's always linear, but you get what I mean). But what's with the lack of an Australiacentric map, huh?!?!

YO!



DO YOU USE THIS ONE AT SCHOOL, YO? OR THIS ONE, YO:

Ah yes the top one looks slightly familiar, although I am far more familiar with the one where the edge of the map is the international date line.

And why is the world upside-down in that other one? xD Is it questioning relativity? xD I mean I guess it's a valid map - in the grand scheme of the universe, we have no idea which way is 'up' and which way is 'down', or even if such things are meaningful at all? xD

YES, YO - EXACTLY! WHO'S TO SAY WHICH WAY IS UP AND WHICH WAY IS DOWN? TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, YO.

I like that one that we recognise as being upside-down! I mean, who is to say that south shouldn't be up and north down? Great article too, yo!

YES, YO! IT MEANS I LIVE ON TOP OF THE UK INSTEAD OF AT THE BOTTOM OF IT, YO! ;D

I've seen Aussie maps with Australia at the top before, although I don't know if they're widely used.

Of course, I am familiar with the proper one, with Europe taking pride of place ;)

LOL, that American map is freaking hilarious. I'm so going to save that picture. ;-D

There are more good ones out there too. Type "American map" into google, and you'll be amused by the stuff that comes up! ;D

No wait, you need to type "American map of the world" in :D

I've seen both, though I've seen the first FAR more frequently.

The second one always bothered me, and struck me as odd, not to mention a little confusing.

Though the "American World" is rather amusing. But I do believe Canada is supposed to be MOOSE heads. Did the creator really not know the deffierecne between a moose and a mouse? :-P

Wow. I apparently forgot how to spell "difference."

Ohhh, MOOSE. xD I geddit now. xD

I live in America, and I've mainly used the first map in school and life. The second one confused the shit out of me with Asia split down in the middle, I was like, wth? Even in my tourism and travel classes we use the first map, and mainly because it helps us with the time zone, with the Greenwich Meridian in the middle...it only makes sense! lol
hope that helps

oh PS: the 3rd "American" map is actually pretty funny...and I wouldn't be surprised if someone saw that and believed it ;D

I've never seen a map like the second one before, the first one is the map we use in America (as far as I know anyway). I did have a friend from Korea in high school who said their maps looked the opposite. I think she said it was something like this;



As for the third map...hilarious.

oh look aus is in the middle! lol.

WOO!

Gosh you never realise how close Canada and Russia are until you see it like that!

ALASKA! Sorry, sorry!

Yeah, it makes it look like Sarah Palin really can see Russia from her front door ;D

i have seen both, but the second one always look wrong to me lol.

I'm in my 30's and was educated solely in the United States. In my education we never used maps such as map 2, we only used maps such as map 1. I have SEEN maps like the second one, but they were never used in our education.

Can you imagine Mr Miller or Pastor Werlock (sorry couldnt resist) using map #2 for class. My goodness the horror of that.