Our planet is divided into several hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western. Each of them has its own characteristics. And what is the difference between the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere, and what continents do they have?
The terms "continent" and "mainland" have scientific meaning, but there is still the concept of "part of the world", which bears a historical and cultural sign. This name gives a 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 land, but have significant differences with the continents.
Division of the planet into hemispheres
The division of the Earth into the Southern and Northern Hemispheres occurs along the equator line, which is a zero parallel. To the south of this line is the Southern Hemisphere, and to the north - the Northern. They are located between 0 and 90 degrees south and north.
The division into the Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere is carried out by the zero meridian. From it to the east is the Eastern Hemisphere, and to the west - the Western. On the Greenwich Meridian, half the planet is between 0 and 180 degrees to the 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.
The main differences between the parts of the Earth
And how is the Eastern Hemisphere different from the Western and what continents are located here? Speaking of differences, the following main criteria are distinguished:
- Difference in time. At that 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 longitude and 100 degrees West longitude).
- There is more land than water in the Eastern Hemisphere, and vice versa in the Western Hemisphere. It is here that the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are located.
- Hemispheres differ in the number of people living - there are more in the east.
- Some emphasize the difference in the shape of the continents themselves.
The West is famous for the largest mountain range - the Andes. Of course, there are mountain ranges in the Eastern Hemisphere, but they are not so massive. Well, and how is the Western Hemisphere different from the Eastern?
The story tells about the development of civilization in each of the hemispheres. Between these halves of the planet were not only cultural, but also trade ties. If these differences are not taken into account, then how is the Eastern Hemisphere different from the Western? As it turns out, this division is conditional.
Eastern continents of the planet
In the eastern part of the planet there are 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 land area, but also the most densely populated - ¾ of the Earth’s population lives here.
Among the continents of the Eastern Hemisphere and Western Hemisphere, Eurasia is the only land washed immediately by four oceans. In the east it is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, in the north - the Arctic Ocean, in the south - 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, the Red and Mediterranean seas.
Australia is an unusual continent
Australia stands out among all the continents of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. 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 mainland on the planet. Because of this feature, it was considered an island for many years, but after establishing the location of land on a separate tectonic plate, Australia was considered the 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 is June. The uniqueness of Australia is not only in location and climate, but also in the fauna. Marsupial animals live here.
The mainland is washed by the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Dry land
As can be seen 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, in the West is North and South America.
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, 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 the Australian. The land is washed by the Atlantic, Pacific oceans. From the north, South America borders on North.
South America is famous worldwide for its river - the Amazon. It passes through the whole continent. Here are located the highest and most powerful waterfalls in the world: Angel and Iguazu.
Mainland of two hemispheres
The most southern continent - Antarctica is located immediately in two hemispheres of the Earth - Western and Eastern. This part of the land is covered with a kilometer-long layer of ice, and in some parts the ice cover reaches 4 kilometers. If the mainland ice cover melts, then the level of the World Ocean will rise by more than 50 meters.
Antarctica is the coldest mainland. In the winter months, the temperature drops below -80 degrees, and in the summer reaches -20 or more.