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Hemispheres of Earth

Hemispheres of Earth is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hemispheres of Earth rather than just read about it. In short: 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 and into western and eastern halves by the Prime meridian. Hemispheres can be divided geographically or culturally, or based on religion or prominent geographic features.

Hemispheres of Earth — main illustration
Hemispheres of Earth — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Hemispheres of Earth belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Hemispheres of Earth to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Hemispheres of Earth from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

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 and into western and eastern halves by the Prime meridian. Hemispheres can be divided geographically or culturally, or based on religion or prominent geographic features. Use of these divisions is applied when studying Earth's geographic distribution, cultural differences, and other geographic, demographic and socioeconomic features.

Geographical hemispheres Geographical hemispheres are primarily split by latitudinal (north-south) and longitudinal (east-west) markers:

North-South

East-West

Alternative hemispheres Alternative Earth hemispheres can divide the globe along cultural or religious lines, or be used to maximize the prominence of geographic features. For example:

Cultural and religious hemispheres

Geographical feature-based hemispheres

Land-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 (southwest of the Chatham Islands, New Zealand), this hemisphere contains the largest possible area of water, including most of the Indian, Pacific, and Southern Oceans.

Continents and oceans by predominant hemisphere

See also Earth's geographical centre Global North and Global South Land and water hemispheres East–West dichotomy

References

External links Media related to Earth's hemispheres at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Hemispheres of Earth: The division of Earth by the Equator and the prime meridian
The division of Earth by the Equator and the prime meridian
Hemispheres of Earth: 19th-century map depicting the Western and Eastern Hemispheres, slightly adjusted to keep Europe and Africa whole
19th-century map depicting the Western and Eastern Hemispheres, slightly adjusted to keep Europe and Africa whole
Hemispheres of Earth: 19th-century map depicting the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
19th-century map depicting the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Hemispheres of Earth: A spheroidal projection, showing the Earth's Western and Eastern hemispheres as seen from a vantage directly above the equator at 90°W and 90°E respectively
A spheroidal projection, showing the Earth's Western and Eastern hemispheres as seen from a vantage directly above the equator at 90°W and 90°E respectively
Hemispheres of Earth: The Earth as seen from the vantage point of the Sun on two consecutive days. The terrestrial terminator is located at the circumference of each image of the Earth.
The Earth as seen from the vantage point of the Sun on two consecutive days. The terrestrial terminator is located at the circumference of each image of the Earth.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hemispheres of Earth

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hemispheres of Earth claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hemispheres of Earth before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hemispheres of Earth ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hemispheres of Earth

In research
Hemispheres of Earth appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Hemispheres of Earth in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Hemispheres of Earth is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Hemispheres of Earth, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Hemispheres of Earth outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Hemispheres of Earth in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Hemispheres of Earth means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Hemispheres of Earth out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hemispheres of Earth in simple terms?

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 and into western and eastern halves by the Prime meridian. Hemispheres can be divided geographically or culturally…

Why does Hemispheres of Earth matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hemispheres of Earth?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hemispheres of Earth.

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