Our planet is divided into the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern, and this division is, rather, conditional. Which line divides the Earth into two hemispheres? What continents and countries are in the Western Hemisphere? The answers to all these questions can be found in our fascinating article.
Earth Degree Grid: Eastern and Western Hemisphere
What is a degree grid? This is a network of conditional lines, which is drawn on globes and maps by people for convenience. In particular, these lines are needed by scientists and researchers, travelers and business executives. They are also necessary in order to quickly and accurately determine the location of a geographical object on the territory of our planet.
The lines of the degree grid include parallels and meridians, as well as the lines of the tropics and polar circles. They are found on almost all geographical maps.
If the division of the Earth by the equator into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres is logical and quite justified, then the Western Hemisphere, as well as the Eastern Hemisphere, have been allocated rather conditionally. About how this happened, we will go further.
Zero and 180th meridians
It is these two meridians that divide our planet into two hemispheres: Western and Eastern.
The zero (or Greenwich) meridian is a reference point for all the geographic longitudes of the planet. It is called Greenwich because it passes through the passive instrument of the observatory of the same name located near London. The latter was established in 1675 by the British king Charles the Second.
Interestingly, until the end of the XIX century, some states had their own zero meridian. So, in Russia this role was played by the Pulkovo Meridian, and in France - the so-called Parisian. Only in 1884 at an international conference did the countries decide to establish the Greenwich meridian as the zero. It passes through the territories of such countries as Great Britain, France, Spain, Algeria, Mali, Ghana and Burkina Faso. Tourists often come to the Greenwich Observatory. And each of them must perform one ritual: stand with one foot in the eastern hemisphere, and the other in the western.
In turn, the 180th meridian is a conditional line that continues the Greenwich meridian on the other side of the Earth. It also acts as the basis for the so-called date line, which, by the way, has not a smooth, but a curved path. It moves in those places where the meridian passes through the inhabited territories.
The 180th meridian has another interesting feature. The fact is that it can be called a line of both east and west longitude. This meridian (like any other on the globe) connects the North Pole of the Earth with the South. Moreover, it crosses the following geographical objects: the Chukchi Peninsula, the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea, the chain of the Aleutian Islands, Fiji, as well as the vast expanses of Antarctica.
Countries and continents of the Western Hemisphere
Which continents belong to the Western Hemisphere? If you look at the map, the answer to this question is very simple. This is North and South America (in its entirety), as well as part of Europe and Africa.
In geopolitical articles and discussions, one can also often find the term Western Hemisphere, which is used as a synonym for the word "America" (here we mean a part of the world, and not one of the continents).
The countries of this hemisphere have different sizes. Among them there are giant countries (USA, Canada, Brazil) and very tiny states (for example, Dominica or Bahamas). In 2014, 33 countries in the Western Hemisphere held a summit of the newly created Commonwealth of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC for short). The meeting took place on Liberty Island, in the capital of Cuba - Havana.
Conclusion
The Western Hemisphere is the hemisphere of the Earth, which is located between the Zero and 180th meridians of the planet. The geographic coordinates of all objects located in this hemisphere are usually called the coordinates of west longitude.
In the Western Hemisphere, North and South America (entirely), part of Europe and Africa, the island of Greenland, Chukotka, as well as several island states of Oceania are located.