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Why is the UK positioned at the centre of world maps?

When you look at a world map, why is the UK in the centre?

Public Comments

1. Why do I feel stupid when I read these kind of questions???
2. Hmm.. good question. Maybe it has something to do with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
3. Coincidence.
4. it isnt is it ?? and if it is ! its because its THE BEST !!! :D
5. Because that is where the UK is, it's not going to change so get used to it.
6. It could be that they were printed here.
7. Because the zero meridian runs through Greenwich England.
8. It's actually not. It is east of center longitudinally and far north of center lattitudanally
9. because it is...really..
10. Because Europeans always thought they were superior to others so they have always drawn the map that way. Plus, prior to the discovery of the Americas, Europeans, Africa and Asia were the complete map, after the Americas was discovered, they drawn them in but still consider Europe to be the center of the world. This is why Europe is in the middle/center of the world.
11. Because the Atlantic Ocean is much smaller than the Pacific. If you were to dissect a map and place the Pacific as the center then it would look very unbalanced... with a great expanse of ocean as the center, and chunks of land on the very outer corners. With the Atlantic as the center, you have masses of land equally distributed in your view. It just looks better.
12. Because they are based on Greenwich meantime. Greenwich is 0 degrees. the time changes 1hour every 15 degrees on the map. Go East and you lose 1 hour every 15 degrees and go west and you gain 1hour every 15 degrees
13. because its Look like an ass,allots shits come from there. good luck.
14. GMT mainley - also we drew maps with us at the center and as europe developed faster than any other continent (scientifically / technology / trade / power) we kept our selfs there.
15. What`s your beef about the UK being the centre of the world! Seriously, we ain`t anyway. We are just a poky little island making a mess of things, off-centre....throwing a wobbly at the moment.
16. First of all: a. UK is not at the centre of the world, of course! b. It has nothing to do with superior of europeans! My God! c. Of course nothing to do with Greenwich! Its because you are looking this category of world map! Simply if you look a world map from Japan, you'll see that Pacific Ocean is at the centre! But most of the world maps have Europe - Africa at the centre (not only UK), because in that way you can see 70% - 90% the continents and not the oceans. Hope this helps!
17. I thought Kansas was...