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Hemispheres of Earth

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Earth is a giant round ball. We can split it into two equal halves. These halves are called hemispheres.

Mappemonde spheroidale
Mappemonde spheroidale

One way to split the Earth is by lines. The Equator splits the world into north and south halves.

Primemeridian
Primemeridian

Another line is the Prime meridian. It splits the world into east and west halves.

We can also split the Earth by what is on it. One half is called the land hemisphere. This half has the most land. It includes most of the world's continents. It is centered near the city of Nantes in France.

1838 Bradford Map of the World on Polar Projection ( Northern and Southern Hemispheres ) - Geographicus - NorthernHemisphere-bradford-1838
1838 Bradford Map of the World on Polar Projection ( Northern and Southern Hemispheres ) - Geographicus - NorthernHemisphere-bradford-1838

Another half is the water hemisphere. This half has the most water. It includes the Indian, Pacific, and Southern Oceans. It is centered in the South Pacific Ocean.

PSM V06 D237 Earth as seen from the sun in two consecutive days
PSM V06 D237 Earth as seen from the sun in two consecutive days

People use these halves to study our world. It helps them see how people and land are spread out. They can also use these halves to study different cultures.

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🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:Primemeridian.jpg
Primemeridian.jpg
File:Map of the World.jpg
Map of the World.jpg
File:1838 Bradford Map of the World on Polar Projection ( Northern and Southern Hemispheres ) - Geographicus - NorthernHemisphere-bradford-1838.jpg
1838 Bradford Map of the World on Polar...
File:Mappemonde spheroidale.jpg
Mappemonde spheroidale.jpg
File:PSM V06 D237 Earth as seen from the sun in two consecutive days.jpg
PSM V06 D237 Earth as seen from the sun...
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