World from the North Pole

In this map we rotate the earth by ninety degrees, so that the North Pole lies on the equator, with the new zero longtitude line along the old 25°W meridian. The new "North Pole" is just north-east of New Guinea (old co-ordinates 0°N, 155°E), and the new "South Pole" is half way between West Africa and Brazil (old co-ordinates 0°N, 25°W).

We can see the new North Pole-centric map of the world:

North Pole centered World Map, 25 West

West Africa and Brazil are partially distorted because they are near the new South Pole. New Guinea, the Indonesian archipelago and northern Australia are similarly distorted around the new North Pole. Other land areas are recognisable if unusually placed. New Zealand is now separated from Australia. The relative sizes of Greenland, the Arctic Sea and Antartica are more realistic. Antartica itself is split into two because it lies in both the "western" and "eastern" hemispheres.

Other re-centered maps available are:

An alternative view comes from a similar case where the North Pole is again on the equator, but the new zero longtitude line is along the old 60°E meridian. Now the new "North Pole" is in the eastern Pacific ocean (0°N, 120°W), and the new "South Pole" is half way between East Africa and South India (0°N, 60°E).

East Africa, Madagascar and southern India are partially distorted because they are near the new South Pole. Mexico is also slightly skewed because it is near the new North Pole. Again both of the polar regions are clearly and fairly represented, with Antartica again split between western and eastern hemishperes.

North Pole centered World Map, 60 East


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