diff --git a/googlemap.py b/googlemap.py
index 07e082d..a6c6724 100644
--- a/googlemap.py
+++ b/googlemap.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class MapGen(object):
         self.web_assets_hook = configInfo.get('web_assets_hook', None)
         self.web_assets_path = configInfo.get('web_assets_path', None)
         self.bg_color = configInfo.get('bg_color')
-        self.north_direction = configInfo.get('north_direction', 'upper-right')
+        self.north_direction = configInfo.get('north_direction', 'lower-left')
         
         if not len(quadtrees) > 0:
             raise ValueError("there must be at least one quadtree to work on")
diff --git a/overviewer.py b/overviewer.py
index 79550fe..371793b 100755
--- a/overviewer.py
+++ b/overviewer.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def main():
     if options.north_direction:
         north_direction = options.north_direction
     else:
-        north_direction = 'upper-right'
+        north_direction = 'lower-left'
     
     logging.getLogger().setLevel(
         logging.getLogger().level + 10*options.quiet)
diff --git a/quadtree.py b/quadtree.py
index ceb543e..4f46879 100644
--- a/quadtree.py
+++ b/quadtree.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def iterate_base4(d):
     return itertools.product(xrange(4), repeat=d)
    
 class QuadtreeGen(object):
-    def __init__(self, worldobj, destdir, bgcolor, depth=None, tiledir=None, forcerender=False, imgformat=None, imgquality=95, optimizeimg=None, rendermode="normal", north_direction='upper-right'):
+    def __init__(self, worldobj, destdir, bgcolor, depth=None, tiledir=None, forcerender=False, imgformat=None, imgquality=95, optimizeimg=None, rendermode="normal", north_direction='lower-left'):
         """Generates a quadtree from the world given into the
         given dest directory
 
diff --git a/world.py b/world.py
index aa1509d..0df5c66 100644
--- a/world.py
+++ b/world.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class World(object):
     mincol = maxcol = minrow = maxrow = 0
     
     def __init__(self, worlddir, useBiomeData=False,regionlist=None,
-            north_direction="upper-right"):
+            north_direction="lower-left"):
         self.worlddir = worlddir
         self.useBiomeData = useBiomeData
         self.north_direction = north_direction