Hemispheres of Earth

Short description: Division of the globe into equal halves

The division of Earth by the Equator and the prime meridian

Map roughly depicting the Eastern and Western hemispheres

In geography and cartography, hemispheres of Earth are any division of the globe into two equal halves (hemispheres), typically divided into northern and southern halves by the equator or into western and eastern halves by an imaginary line passing through the poles. Hemispheres can be divided geographically, culturally, religiously, or based on prominent geographic features. Understanding these divisions is essential for studying Earth's geographic distribution, cultural differences, and the prominence of various geographic features.^[1]

Geographical hemispheres

Geographical hemispheres are primarily split by latitudinal (north-south) and longitudinal (east-west) markers: ^[2]^[3]

North-South

Northern Hemisphere: The half that lies north of the Equator. This hemisphere contains approximately 68% of Earth's landmass and is home to about 90% of the global population.^{[citation needed]} It includes North America, Europe, Asia, and most of Africa.
Southern Hemisphere: The half that lies south of the Equator. It contains only 32% of Earth's landmass and is home to about 10% of the global population. It includes South America, Australia, Antarctica, and the southern parts of Africa.

East-West

Eastern Hemisphere: The half that lies east of the prime meridian and west of the 180th meridian. This hemisphere includes most of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia, as well as the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
Western Hemisphere: The half that lies west of the prime meridian and east of the 180th meridian. This hemisphere includes North and South America, the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the majority of the Atlantic Ocean.

Alternative hemispheres

Alternative Earth hemispheres can divide the globe along cultural, religious lines, or to maximize the prominence of geographic features.^[4] For example:

Cultural and religious hemispheres

Eastern Hemisphere: Generally associated with Eastern culture and religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Islam.
Western Hemisphere: Generally associated with Western culture and religions, such as Christianity and Judaism.

Geographical feature-based hemispheres

Terrestrial terminator-based hemispheres: Earth may be split into hemispheres of day and night by the terrestrial terminator, which is the boundary between the illuminated and dark sides of the planet. This division changes continuously as Earth rotates.
20° West and 160° East-based hemispheres: This alternative division prevents the splitting of Africa and Europe.

Land-water hemispheres

Main page: Earth:Land and water hemispheres

Alternative hemisphere schemes can divide the planet in a way that maximizes the prominence of one geographic feature or another in each division, such as the land-water division:

Land Hemisphere: Centered near 47°N, 1°E, near the city of Nantes, France, this hemisphere contains the largest possible area of land, including most of the world's continents and major landmasses.

Water Hemisphere: Centered near 47°S, 179°W, in the South Pacific Ocean, this hemisphere contains the largest possible area of water, including most of the Indian, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans.