The geography of the world can be defined through maps, which gained their definition after the 14th century. These maps are laid out in two-dimensional colourful patterns, with drawn lines on ...

The cuneiform tablet from the 6th century BC shows an aerial view map of Mesopotamia — roughly modern-day Iraq — and what the Babylonians believed lay beyond the known world at the time.

Why are almost all modern maps the same way up? Caroline Williams explores the intriguing history that led to this orientation – and discovers why it shapes how we see the world in more ways ...