Western Hemisphere
|
The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. |
Western Hemisphere (capitalized), or
Western hemisphere, is a
geopolitical term for
the Americas and associated islands and waters (or the
New World). It is derived from the
geographical term of
western hemisphere, which is the half of the
Earth that lies
west of the
Prime Meridian. Usage has shifted in modernity so that the term generally refers collectively to the Americas and their inhabitants, including associated islands like the
West Indies and
Greenland, while excluding other territories that lie geographically in the hemisphere like parts of
Africa,
Europe,
Antarctica, and
Asia.
In other languages and sometimes in English, the term
western hemisphere (not capitalized) is used in the literal sense, on par with the other geographical
hemispheres. A hemisphere is a
geometric term that literally means "half ball", and in geography the term is used when dividing the
Earth into two halves. The most obvious dividing line is the
equator, creating the
northern and
southern hemispheres. These hemispheres are based on unambiguous reference points â€" the
north and
south poles â€" which are defined by the Earth's axis of rotation and, in turn, define the equator. Any definition of eastern and western hemispheres, however, requires the selection of an arbitrary
meridian and a corresponding meridian on the other side of the Earth. The
Prime Meridian at 0°
longitude is typically used, which runs through
Greenwich (
London) in the
United Kingdom; this is used to define the
International Date Line on the other side of the Earth at 180° longitude. Arguably, this is a
Eurocentric choice, which would make the more common geopolitical meaning of 'the Americas' Eurocentric as well. In this context, the western hemisphere also includes the western portions of
Europe and
Africa, easternmost tip of
Russia, numerous territories in
Oceania, and a portion of
Antarctica while excluding some of the
Aleutian Islands to the southwest of the
Alaskan mainland.
The term
Eastern Hemisphere is not commonly used in a geopolitical sense.
*
Prime Meridian*
International Date Line*
New World*
Americas*
Americas (terminology)
