Our planet is divided into several hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western. Each of them has its own characteristics. What is the difference between the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere and what continents do they have?
The terms "continent" and "mainland" have a scientific meaning, but there is also the concept of "part of the world", which is a historical and cultural sign. This name gives the concept of how the continents were discovered. For example, people learned about America not so long ago, which is why they began to call it the New World.
In addition to the continents, there are islands that also belong to the land, but have significant differences from the continents.
Division of the planet into hemispheres
The division of the Earth into the Southern and Northern Hemispheres occurs along the line of the equator, which is the zero parallel. To the south of this line lies the Southern Hemisphere, and to the north the Northern Hemisphere. They arelocated between 0 and 90 degrees south and north.
The division into the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere is carried out along the zero meridian. From it to the east is the Eastern Hemisphere, and to the west - the Western. On the Greenwich meridian, half of the planet is between 0 and 180 degrees west and east.
There are continents in every part of the planet. Their total area is 139 million square kilometers. In addition, there are other parts of the land that do not belong to the continents - these are islands, archipelagos, reefs, atolls.
Main differences between parts of the Earth
How does the Eastern Hemisphere differ from the Western Hemisphere and what continents are located here? Speaking about the differences, the following main criteria are distinguished:
- Time difference. At the moment when it is noon in North America, on the other side of the planet, in China, at this time is midnight (100 degrees east and 100 degrees west).
- In the Eastern Hemisphere there is more land than water, and in the Western - on the contrary. This is where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are located.
- The hemispheres differ in the number of people living - in the east there are more of them.
- Some highlight the difference in the shape of the continents themselves.
The West is famous for its largest mountain range - the Andes. Of course, there are mountain ranges in the Eastern Hemisphere, but they are not so massive. Well, what is the difference between the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern?
The story tells about the development of civilization in each of the hemispheres. Between thesehalves of the planet were not only cultural, but also trade relations. Apart from these differences, how is the Eastern Hemisphere different from the Western? As it turns out, this division is conditional.
Eastern continents of the planet
The eastern part of the planet has the most continents. Here is Eurasia, Africa, Antarctica and Australia.
The largest continent of the Earth is Eurasia. Its area is more than 30% of the entire land area of the planet. This is not only the largest piece of land, but also the most densely populated - ¾ of the world's population lives here.
Among the continents of the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere, Eurasia is the only land that is washed by four oceans at once. In the east it is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, in the north by the Arctic Ocean, in the south by the Indian.
The second largest continent is Africa. It is located in the Eastern Hemisphere. The equator passes through the central part of the land, which is why it is the hottest continent in the world. The relief of Africa is represented mainly by plains, but there are river valleys. The shores are washed by the Indian, Atlantic Oceans, Red and Mediterranean Seas.
Australia is an unusual continent
Among all the continents of the Western and Eastern hemispheres, Australia stands out. It is located south of the equator, which is why it was discovered much later than other continents - a hundred years after the discovery of the New World.
Australia is the smallest continent on the planet. Because of this feature, for many years itconsidered an island, but after establishing the fact of the location of land on a separate tectonic plate, Australia began to be considered a mainland.
Most of the land is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts. The reverse seasons are of interest. In this part of the world, the warmest month is January and the coldest month is June. The uniqueness of Australia is not only in the location and climate, but also in the fauna. Marsupials live here.
The mainland is washed by the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Land of the West
As you can see in the photo of the Eastern and Western hemispheres, there is a continent that is located in both parts of the planet, and there are those that are located in one of the hemispheres. So, North and South America is located in the West.
North America is washed by the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. This part of the land includes numerous islands, archipelagos. The entire territory covers more than 24 million square kilometers.
North America is located north of the equator line. In this part of the year, the seasons are the same as in Eurasia, northern Africa.
Mainland South America is located south of the equator. Here the seasons are similar to those in Australia. The land is washed by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. From the north, South America borders on North.
South America is famous all over the world for its river - the Amazon. It runs across the entire continent. The highest and most powerful waterfalls in the world are also located here: Angel and Iguazu.
Mainland of the two hemispheres
The southernmost continent - Antarctica is located in two hemispheres of the Earth - Western and Eastern. This part of the land is covered with a kilometer layer of ice, and in some parts the ice cover reaches 4 kilometers. If the ice cover of the mainland melts, the level of the World Ocean will rise by more than 50 meters.
Antarctica is the coldest continent. Temperatures drop below -80 degrees during the winter months and reach -20 or more in summer.
