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Author Jerry Brotton presents a five-part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the ‘Global South' with the industrialised ‘Global North' drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps, any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where darkness and death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Part 1 begins today with our apparent lack of any significant orientation. On a digital globe, and on Google maps, it seems cardinal points no longer matter - we place ourselves at the centre of the map. The result is an egocentric mapping whose only orientation is immediate gratification. We are left, quite literally, disoriented.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, journalist and editor for Bloomberg City Maps Laura Bliss, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author Irna Qureshi, geographer Alistair Bonnett, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, curator Rosemary Firman and historian of Islamic maps Yossef Rappaport.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five-part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the ‘Global South' with the industrialised ‘Global North' drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps, any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where darkness and death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Part 1 begins today with our apparent lack of any significant orientation. On a digital globe, and on Google maps, it seems cardinal points no longer matter - we place ourselves at the centre of the map. The result is an egocentric mapping whose only orientation is immediate gratification. We are left, quite literally, disoriented.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, journalist and editor for Bloomberg City Maps Laura Bliss, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author Irna Qureshi, geographer Alistair Bonnett, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, curator Rosemary Firman and historian of Islamic maps Yossef Rappaport.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five-part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history, the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the Global South with the industrialised Global North drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

In Part 2 of this series, Jerry looks North. It's the cardinal point at the top of most world maps, although historians and cartographers have never really agreed why - even as digital mapping threatens to de-throne it's position. It's also the most contradictory of the of the four directions, associated with vast wastelands and uninhabitable cold but also great beauty, revelation and the navigational truth of the North Star. For Jerry, born in Bradford, the North also confers identity.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps - any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where darkness and death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, journalist and editor for Bloomberg City Maps Laura Bliss, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author Irna Qureshi, geographer Alistair Bonnett, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, curator and Medieval scholar Rosemary Firman and historian of Islamic maps Yossef Rappaport.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five-part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history, the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the Global South with the industrialised Global North drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

In Part 2 of this series, Jerry looks North. It's the cardinal point at the top of most world maps, although historians and cartographers have never really agreed why - even as digital mapping threatens to de-throne it's position. It's also the most contradictory of the of the four directions, associated with vast wastelands and uninhabitable cold but also great beauty, revelation and the navigational truth of the North Star. For Jerry, born in Bradford, the North also confers identity.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps - any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where darkness and death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, journalist and editor for Bloomberg City Maps Laura Bliss, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author Irna Qureshi, geographer Alistair Bonnett, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, curator and Medieval scholar Rosemary Firman and historian of Islamic maps Yossef Rappaport.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five-part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the ‘Global South' with the industrialised ‘Global North' drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

In Part 3 of this series, Jerry looks East. It's the direction of the sunrise, emblematic of the human life cycle; a symbol of birth and the beginning of life's journey encapsulated in one day, ending with twilight and the setting of the sun. Over centuries the West - with which it forms an axis - came to be understood in direct relation to the East. It created a stereotype of the East - or Orient - as not just an idea, but a fantasy of beguiling mystery, also despotic and irrational. Meanwhile places to the east of Europe developed their own assumptions about the West, with China asserting its geopolitical power by drawing on the iconography of the east: rebirth, renewal and the rising sun.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps, any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where darkness and death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, director of the China institute at SOAS Steve Tsang, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian and sinologist Timothy Brook, author Irna Qureshi, geographer Alistair Bonnett, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, librarian at Hereford Cathedral Rosemary Firman and historian of Islamic maps Yossef Rappaport.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five-part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the ‘Global South' with the industrialised ‘Global North' drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

In Part 3 of this series, Jerry looks East. It's the direction of the sunrise, emblematic of the human life cycle; a symbol of birth and the beginning of life's journey encapsulated in one day, ending with twilight and the setting of the sun. Over centuries the West - with which it forms an axis - came to be understood in direct relation to the East. It created a stereotype of the East - or Orient - as not just an idea, but a fantasy of beguiling mystery, also despotic and irrational. Meanwhile places to the east of Europe developed their own assumptions about the West, with China asserting its geopolitical power by drawing on the iconography of the east: rebirth, renewal and the rising sun.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps, any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where darkness and death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, director of the China institute at SOAS Steve Tsang, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian and sinologist Timothy Brook, author Irna Qureshi, geographer Alistair Bonnett, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, librarian at Hereford Cathedral Rosemary Firman and historian of Islamic maps Yossef Rappaport.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five-part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the ‘Global South' with the industrialised ‘Global North' drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

In Part 4 of the series, Jerry looks South. Perhaps the most fluid and mutable of the cardinal directions, for centuries it's been defined negatively against North - visually North is ‘up' and South ‘down'. But it's also been a repository of fantasies, a vast unknown region at times populated by tropical islands, azure seas and fantastical creatures, but travelling further south, crossing the freezing Antarctic circle, explorers found a place of utter isolation and existential darkness. Today the political concept of ‘the Global South' has replaced the discredited term ‘Third World'. It's led to a new alignment of states south of the equator, from the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa to South America and Southeast Asia - countries that share a history of colonial rule and that are most vulnerable to climate change.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps, any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where darkness and death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, journalist and editor for Bloomberg City Maps Laura Bliss, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian of navigation Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author Irna Qureshi, director of the China institute at SOAS Steve Tsang, geographer Alistair Bonnett, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, librarian at Hereford Cathedral Rosemary Firman, historian and sinologist Timothy Brook and historian of Islamic maps, Yossi Rappaort.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five-part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the ‘Global South' with the industrialised ‘Global North' drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

In Part 4 of the series, Jerry looks South. Perhaps the most fluid and mutable of the cardinal directions, for centuries it's been defined negatively against North - visually North is ‘up' and South ‘down'. But it's also been a repository of fantasies, a vast unknown region at times populated by tropical islands, azure seas and fantastical creatures, but travelling further south, crossing the freezing Antarctic circle, explorers found a place of utter isolation and existential darkness. Today the political concept of ‘the Global South' has replaced the discredited term ‘Third World'. It's led to a new alignment of states south of the equator, from the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa to South America and Southeast Asia - countries that share a history of colonial rule and that are most vulnerable to climate change.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps, any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where darkness and death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, journalist and editor for Bloomberg City Maps Laura Bliss, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian of navigation Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author Irna Qureshi, director of the China institute at SOAS Steve Tsang, geographer Alistair Bonnett, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, librarian at Hereford Cathedral Rosemary Firman, historian and sinologist Timothy Brook and historian of Islamic maps, Yossi Rappaort.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the ‘Global South' with the industrialised ‘Global North' drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

In the final part of the series Jerry looks West. Forming a direct axis with East and the rising sun, West is the direction where the sun sets, anticipating the descent into darkness and symbolically, the end of life. As a result hardly any early societies chose it as a sacred orientation for prayer and even fewer placed it at the top of their maps. Broadly understood as originating in Europe then incorporating North America, 'West' is more often imagined as a frontier or threshold than a fixed geographical place (in America, tied to the notion of ‘manifest destiny'). But it has given birth to that most powerful yet intangible of concepts, the western world. As a political identity it's more contested today than any of the other cardinal directions.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps, any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, geographer Alistair Bonnett, head of the China Institute at SOAS Steve Tsang, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author Irna Qureshi, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, librarian at Hereford Cathedral Rosemary Firman and historian of Islamic maps Yossef Rappaort.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton presents a five part series exploring each of the four cardinal directions in turn - north, east, south and west - and the possibility that, in the age of digital mapping, we are being left disoriented.

Throughout history the cardinal directions have been crucial to virtually all societies in understanding themselves in relation to the wider world. More than points on a compass, they are ideas in their own right - creating their own political, moral and cultural meanings. They've shaped how we divide the world geopolitically into East and West (Orient and Occident) while contrasting the ‘Global South' with the industrialised ‘Global North' drives much current development policy, especially around climate change.

In the final part of the series Jerry looks West. Forming a direct axis with East and the rising sun, West is the direction where the sun sets, anticipating the descent into darkness and symbolically, the end of life. As a result hardly any early societies chose it as a sacred orientation for prayer and even fewer placed it at the top of their maps. Broadly understood as originating in Europe then incorporating North America, 'West' is more often imagined as a frontier or threshold than a fixed geographical place (in America, tied to the notion of ‘manifest destiny'). But it has given birth to that most powerful yet intangible of concepts, the western world. As a political identity it's more contested today than any of the other cardinal directions.

So why is north at the top of most world maps? The four cardinal points on a compass are defined by the physical realities of the magnetic North Pole (north-south) and the rising and setting of the sun (east-west) but there is no reason why north is at the top of maps, any other cardinal point would do just as well. The convention was developed by the western world. So why not put west at the top? Well, early societies refused to privilege the west because it was the direction of the sunset, where death reigned. For medieval Christianity, east was at the top, because that was the direction of the Garden of Eden, shown on many mappae-mundi. On early Islamic maps south was at the top, while Chinese maps used north because the emperor looked 'down' southwards and everyone else looked 'up', north.

Series contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, historian Sujit Sivasundaram, neuroscientist Hugo Spiers, author Rana Kabbani, geographer Alistair Bonnett, head of the China Institute at SOAS Steve Tsang, former head of maps at the British library Peter Barber, barrister and specialist in equality law Ulele Burnham, historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author Irna Qureshi, wayfinder and science writer Michael Bond, librarian at Hereford Cathedral Rosemary Firman and historian of Islamic maps Yossef Rappaort.

Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis

A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

Author Jerry Brotton explores the story of the four cardinal directions.

Author Jerry Brotton explores the four cardinal directions.