Ruqayyah Snyder
The Earth is divided into four hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian. It includes Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The Western Hemisphere, on the other hand, is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian and east of the 180th meridian. So, is Australia in the Eastern or Western Hemisphere?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Hemisphere Australia is in | Eastern Hemisphere |
| Other continents in the Eastern Hemisphere | Europe, Asia, Africa |
| Other names for the Eastern Hemisphere | Oriental Hemisphere, Old World |
| Definition of Eastern Hemisphere | East of the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) and west of the antimeridian (180° longitude) |
| Alternative definition of Eastern Hemisphere | East of 20° W and west of 160° E |
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What You'll Learn
Australia is in the Eastern Hemisphere
Australia is indeed in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian (which crosses the Pacific Ocean). The prime meridian at 0° longitude and the antimeridian at 180° longitude are the conventionally accepted boundaries of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, respectively.
The Eastern Hemisphere includes the continents of Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. It also includes the majority of Oceania, with only some Pacific islands, such as New Zealand, falling into the Western Hemisphere. The land mass of the Eastern Hemisphere is larger than that of the Western Hemisphere and contains a wide variety of habitats.
The idea of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres has become politically and historically significant, particularly since European colonisation of the Americas. In this context, the Eastern Hemisphere is sometimes referred to as the "Old World", and the Western Hemisphere as the "New World". Geopolitically, the term "Western Hemisphere" is often used as a metonym for the Americas, despite the hemisphere also including parts of other continents.
It is important to note that the division of the Earth into hemispheres is somewhat arbitrary and does not perfectly correspond with continents. For example, portions of Western Europe, West Africa, and northeastern Russia are in the Western Hemisphere, despite the typical geopolitical association of these regions with the "East" or "Old World".
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The Eastern Hemisphere is also called the 'Old World'
Australia is located in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Eastern Hemisphere is also called the Old World. This term came into use by Europeans after 1493 when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. The Old World includes the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, which was previously thought to comprise the entire world. The discovery of the Americas led to the designation of the "New World", a term for the newly discovered lands in the Western Hemisphere.
The Old World, or the Eastern Hemisphere, encompasses a wide range of habitats and includes several sovereign states. The centre of the Eastern Hemisphere is located in the Indian Ocean at the intersection of the equator and the 90th meridian east. The land mass of the Eastern Hemisphere is larger than that of the Western Hemisphere, and it includes parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
In the context of archaeology and world history, the term "Old World" takes on a broader meaning. It refers to those regions that were in indirect cultural contact from the Bronze Age onwards, leading to the parallel development of early civilizations. This includes areas such as the Mediterranean, North Africa, Mesopotamia, the Persian plateau, the Indian subcontinent, China, and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. These regions were connected through trade routes like the Silk Road.
The distinction between the Old World and the New World is primarily a Eurocentric concept. It reflects the European perspective during the age of exploration and colonization. The terms "Old World" and "New World" carry cultural and historical connotations, representing a shift in European understanding of the world and their encounter with new lands and civilizations.
It is worth noting that the terms "Old World" and "New World" are not universally accepted or free from criticism. They reflect a specific viewpoint and have been challenged by some scholars for their Eurocentric bias. Additionally, the hemispheres do not correspond exactly to continents, and the boundaries between them are arbitrarily defined based on conventions established in the 19th century.
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The Western Hemisphere is also called the 'New World'
Australia is located in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies east of the Prime Meridian, which passes through Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. It includes Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa.
The Western Hemisphere, on the other hand, is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the 180th meridian. Geopolitically, the term Western Hemisphere is often used as a metonym for the Americas or the "New World". This term came about during Europe's colonization period in the early 16th century. Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci published the Latin-language pamphlet "Mundus Novus", presenting his conclusion that the lands to the west of the Atlantic Ocean were new continents. This realization expanded the geographical knowledge of earlier European geographers, who had previously believed that the world only included Afro-Eurasian lands. Thus, Africa, Asia, and Europe became collectively known as the "Old World".
The Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci is usually credited with coining the term "New World" in his 1503 letter. However, similar terms had been used before him. For example, Venetian explorer Alvise Cadamosto used the term "un altro mondo" ("another world") to refer to sub-Saharan Africa in 1455 and 1456. Additionally, Italian chronicler Peter Martyr d'Anghiera, serving under Spain, referred to the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus as the "western antipodes" and the "new hemisphere of the earth" in letters dated 1493.
It is important to note that the Western Hemisphere includes not only North and South America but also parts of other continents. Some sources use the 20th meridian west and the diametrically opposed 160th meridian east to define the Western Hemisphere, excluding all of the European and African mainlands but including more of eastern Russia and Oceania, as well as parts of Antarctica. This definition still includes some islands associated with Europe and Africa, such as Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
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The Eastern Hemisphere includes Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia
The Eastern Hemisphere refers to the half of the planet Earth that lies east of the Prime Meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian (which crosses the Pacific Ocean). It includes the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, though the hemispheres do not correspond exactly with the continents. The Eastern Hemisphere may also be called the "Old World" and has a wider land mass than the Western Hemisphere.
The Prime Meridian at 0° longitude and the antimeridian at 180° longitude are the conventionally accepted boundaries of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, respectively. These boundaries were established in 1884 at the International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C. However, to avoid dividing Africa and Europe, the meridians of 20°W and 160°E are often used as the boundaries of the Eastern Hemisphere, which includes all of the European and African mainlands. This definition, however, excludes more of eastern Russia and Oceania, including New Zealand.
The Eastern Hemisphere also includes several islands associated with the continents of Europe and Africa, such as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and some islands off the coast of Africa. It is important to note that the demarcation of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres is arbitrary and based on conventions, unlike the equator, which divides the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The term "Eastern Hemisphere" carries geopolitical significance, particularly in the context of European colonization of the Americas or the "New World." This term is often used as a synonym for the "Old World", representing the established cultures and societies of Europe, Asia, and Africa, in contrast to the "New World" of the Western Hemisphere.
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The Western Hemisphere includes North and South America
The Western Hemisphere refers to the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian, which crosses Greenwich, London, in the United Kingdom. It extends eastward to the 180th meridian, also known as the antimeridian, which passes through the Pacific Ocean. The Western Hemisphere is often used as a geopolitical term to refer to the Americas or the "New World". This is despite the fact that geographically, the hemisphere also encompasses parts of other continents.
Some sources propose an alternative definition for the Western Hemisphere that aligns more closely with the Americas. This definition uses the 20th meridian west and its diametrically opposed meridian, the 160th meridian east. This proposal excludes all of the European and African mainlands but includes more of eastern Russia and Oceania, as well as a portion of Antarctica. It encompasses all the islands of Alaska but excludes a small part of northeast Greenland.
The Western Hemisphere is distinct from the Eastern Hemisphere, which is the other half of the planet Earth. The Eastern Hemisphere encompasses the land east of the Prime Meridian and west of the 180th meridian or the antimeridian. It includes the continents of Afro-Eurasia (Africa and Eurasia) and Australia, as well as the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. The Eastern Hemisphere is also referred to as the "'Old World'" and may be called the "Oriental Hemisphere" in cultural or geopolitical contexts.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia is in the Eastern Hemisphere.
The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian. It includes Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa.
The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that is west of the prime meridian and east of the 180th meridian. It includes North and South America, the westernmost parts of Europe and Africa, the extreme eastern tip of Russia, many territories in Oceania, and a large part of Antarctica.
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