I don't know why I was surprised to learn this but there is a standard for alphabetical order. The NISO Guidelines for Alphabetical Arrangement of Letters and Sorting of Numerals and Other Symbols: https://www.niso.org/sites/default/files/2017-08/tr03.pdf
> The notion that north should always be up and east at the right was established by the Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy (90-168 AD). "Perhaps this was because the better-known places in his world were in the northern hemisphere, and on a flat map these were most convenient for study if they were in the upper right-hand corner," historian Daniel Boorstin opines. Mapmakers haven't always followed Ptolemy; during the Middle Ages, Boorstin notes, maps often had east on top--whence the expression "to orient."