Compass rose

The compass rose has been used since the 1300's as a figure to display the orientation of the four principal directions or points of the compass on a map or nautical chart. The Portuguese cartographer, Pedro Reinel, drew the first standard compass rose to show wind direction. There is no definitive standard for drawing a compass rose, and many cartographers have developed their own. The Chinese version divides the compass into 12 major directions representing the signs of the Zodiac. The term "rose" itself comes from the compass points resembling the petals of the popular flower. Even today the compass rose is still found on or featured in almost all navigation systems.