Why isn't the north hemisphere of earth called the south one?

Question

There is no left or right, up or down in the universe! So, why was the north hemisphere called like that and not the other way round?

I think i know the answer but i want to be sure...!♥

Answer 1

The directions North and South are defined by the axis of Earth since ancient times. They are just named north and south by convention and this north and south convention got also applied to the hemispheres in our languages.

Answer 2

the name of it changes every couple of billion years when the magnetic forces change in the earth. So the north was once the south and someday the south will be the north again

Answer 3

The words for common items in daily life were developed before historical times. They evolved and standardized as information was carried between populations.

The word north is traced to the Old High German “nord”, and the Proto-Indo-European unit “ner-“, meaning "left" (or "under"). (Presumably a natural primitive description of its concept is "to the left of the rising sun".)

The etymology of "south" comes the Old English word “suth”, related to the Old High German word “sund”, and perhaps “sunne” in Old English, with the sense of "the region of the sun" (sun culminates in the south in the northern hemisphere).

With any other rotating body such as another planet, you can see its rotation and find a pole. If you are above a pole and it is spinning counterclockwise in relation to you, that is the north pole. If it spins clockwise it is the south pole.

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Answer 4

You're absolutely right.

You could take the entire solar system and flip it "upside-down" and you could never tell the difference from afar.  (Except that the planets would rotate in the opposite direction.  OK, that's not an Entirely unimportant difference.)

I suppose you could, in fact, flip the entire Milky Way galaxy!

For a really random experience, get a big world map and pin it to your wall... upside-down.  Leave it there for days or weeks and periodically think about what this flip/flop might affect.

So, what is Your answer?

Answer 5

Because then we would have to call the southern hemisphere the northern,they couldn't both be the same.

Answer 6

Because cartography was developed in Europe. As explorers sailed around Africa and discovered they could reach India (the Portuguese were the leaders in this), maps would be expanded and added to, but naturally enough, Europe would be given prominence. So it's no surprise that eventually when globes were constructed, Europe would be placed at the 'top', or Northern hemisphere.

In the early Middle ages, maps would show Jerusalem at the center, with everything else off to the sides.

Answer 7

Hmmm. I never really gave that much thought to be honest.

I am going to assume that it has to do with the magnetic poles.

As for the Moon, or in outer space (i.e., on the ISS or shuttle) we refer to "top" or "bottom" as zenith or nadir respectively.

Answer 8

yup, we simply picked a direction.. so as to not mistake ourselves about the geography of the planet.. the 2 polar ice caps also influenced this

Answer 9

we simply picked a direction.

There is an up down when you are in a gravity well, and there is left and right when you are on a large enough object.

And it could easily have been called the other way around adn then you would be asking the exact same question but reversed

why is a chair called that and not pepper?  If it were called pepper, you;'d be asking the same question.