Open a map in a book or on your phone. North is usually at the top. It feels normal, but there is no rule of nature that says maps must look this way.

Earth is round. In space, it has no true top or bottom. People choose how to show the world on a flat page.

In the past, mapmakers in different places used different directions at the top of their maps. Some placed east or south there. Over time, maps with north at the top became common in many parts of the world.

Today, people often learn to read maps this way. It makes maps easier to compare when they follow the same pattern.

A boy uses a map to find a park near his home. He checks which way is north, then follows the streets on the map.

The most important thing is not which direction is at the top. It is knowing how to read the map.

The map helps us find places. On many maps, north is at the top. But you can turn the map around. The roads and towns do not move. A map is a picture we use to find our way.