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A really nice explanation, thank you (from the bottom of the usual map and a country quite often left off completely)

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That was a fascinating romp through geopolitical history. Thanks!

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A great article! So fascinating how such a simple choice was so influenced by history, topography, power, religion, and apparently winds!

I've always wondered why so many countries had a rich north / poor south pattern. And I hadn't considered how maps could be part of that cycle, and the cycle of colonialism.

I originally thought you were saying that the magnetic pole cancels itself out, but then clicked on the Fleming Rule link and realized it was a mnemonic about electromagnetic fields, and so a metaphor for how map orientation was also inaccurate. I think.

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Wonderful idea. Glad I thought of it years ago, back in 1975 when my daughter was about 3 years old. I didn't want her to be locked into the rigid thinking that I felt the "normal" map orientation could easily engender.

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