This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. In particular, much of the current article is anachronic. This subject needs a more historical perspective ; the notion of Western Hemisphere is tightly linked to the widespread use of double-hemisphere world maps in the 17th to 19th centuries and in this sense very similar in meaning to the New World. Also, the Greenwhich meridian was only standard from 1884 onwards. Essentially all double-hemisphere maps use a partition of hemispheres around what is now the 20th meridian west, with most using that longitude as the prime meridian. (January 2025) |
The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian—which crosses Greenwich, London, England—and east of the 180th meridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Geo-politically, the term Western Hemisphere is often used as a metonym for the Americas or the "New World", even though geographically the hemisphere also includes parts of other continents.
Geography
The Western Hemisphere consists of the Americas, excluding some of the Aleutian Islands to the southwest of the Alaskan mainland; the westernmost portions of Europe and Africa, both mainland and islands; the extreme eastern tip of the Russian mainland and islands (North Asia); numerous territories in Oceania; and a large portion of Antarctica.
The center of the Western Hemisphere is located in the Pacific Ocean at the intersection of the 90th meridian west and the Equator, among the Galápagos Islands. The nearest land is Genovesa Island at 0°19′N 89°57′W / 0.317°N 89.950°W.
The highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere is Aconcagua in the Andes of Argentina at 6,960.8 m (22,837 ft).
The tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere is the CN Tower in Toronto at 553.3 m (1,815 ft) and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere is One World Trade Center in New York City at 541.3 m (1,776 ft).
Alternative definitions
In an attempt to match the Western Hemisphere more closely with the Americas, some sources use the 20th meridian west and the diametrically opposed 160th meridian east to define the hemisphere. This definition excludes all of the European and African mainlands, but still includes some islands associated with these continents, more of eastern Russia and Oceania, and part of Antarctica. It includes all islands of Alaska, but excludes a small portion of northeast Greenland. There is no hemisphere that includes all of the Americas that also excludes all land outside of it, regardless of the meridians or points chosen to define it.
Sovereign states in both hemispheres
Below is a list of the sovereign states in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres on the IERS Reference Meridian, in order from north to south:
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Denmark, due to the entirety of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Denmark proper lies entirely within the Eastern Hemisphere.![image]()
Norway, due only to Jan Mayen. Mainland Norway, Svalbard and Bouvet Island lie entirely within the Eastern Hemisphere.![image]()
United Kingdom, passing through Greenwich, London. Most of the country lies within the Western Hemisphere.![image]()
The Netherlands has overseas islands that lie entirely within the Western Hemisphere, while mainland Netherlands lies entirely within the Eastern Hemisphere.
![image]()
France, passing through Puynormand (Gironde). About 1/3 of the country, including cities like Nantes or Bordeaux, as well as the overseas regions of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana lie within the Western Hemisphere.![image]()
Spain, passing through Castellón de la Plana (Valencian Community). Most of Spain, including the capital Madrid, the Canary Islands and the southern half of its Mediterranean territorial waters, lies within the Western Hemisphere. Spanish, Moroccan and Algerian Mediterranean waters are the only part of the Mediterranean Sea located in the Western Hemisphere.![image]()
Algeria, passing through Stidia. About 1/4 of the country, including Oran, Algeria's second-largest city, lies within the Western Hemisphere.![image]()
Mali, passing through the municipal area of Gao. Most of Mali, including the capital Bamako, lies within the Western Hemisphere.![image]()
Burkina Faso, passing through Lalgaye. Most of the country, including the capital Ouagadougou, lies within the Western Hemisphere.![image]()
Ghana, passing through Tema. Most of Ghana, including the capital Accra, lies within the Western Hemisphere.![image]()
Togo, passing near Tami (Tône Prefecture in Savanes Region).
Below is a list of additional sovereign states which are in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres along the 180th meridian, in order from north to south. (France is not listed below due to its inclusion above, though the meridian does pass Wallis and Futuna.) With the exception of the United States (due to Wake Island, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands), all of them are located on just one side of the International Date Line, which curves around them.
![image]()
Russia, passing through Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Its portion lying east of the 180th meridian is the only part of the country lying in the Western Hemisphere.![image]()
United States, passing through the Aleutian Islands (Alaska). Except for the portion of Aleutian Islands and waters lying west of the 180th meridian, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Wake Island, most of the country lies east of the 180th meridian.![image]()
Kiribati, passing close to Arorae. The country has both the Equator and the 180th meridian (antimeridian) crossing through its territory. It is the only country located in four hemispheres.![image]()
Tuvalu, passing close to its capital, Funafuti.![image]()
Fiji, passing close to its dependency Rotuma and passing through Taveuni.![image]()
Most of New Zealand proper lies within the Eastern Hemisphere; but Chatham Islands and Kermadec Islands, as well as the self-governing states of the Cook Islands and Niue and the dependent territory of Tokelau, lie east of the 180th meridian.
Countries, dependencies and other territories in the Western Hemisphere but not in the Americas
The following countries and territories lie outside the Americas yet are entirely, mostly, or partially within the Western Hemisphere:
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See also
- Eastern Hemisphere
- Land and water hemispheres
- Western world
References
- Olson, Judy M (1997), "Projecting the hemisphere", in Robinson, Arthur H; Snyder, John P (eds.), Matching the map projection to the need, Bethesda, MD: Cartography and Geographic Information Society, American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, archived from the original on 2016-03-14, retrieved 2020-03-03.
- "Western Hemisphere", Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary (3rd ed.), Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, 2001, p. 1294. - Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd ed.), London, UK: Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 2001
- "Western Hemisphere", Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary (based on Collegiate vol., 11th ed.), Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2006 - "Western Hemisphere | Definition". Britannica. Archived from the original on 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Archived 2020-05-28 at the Wayback Machine, United States Department of State.
- Western Hemisphere Archived 2020-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, United States Department of the Treasury.
- Western Hemisphere Archived 2020-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, Office of the United States Trade Representative.
- Joe Biden: The Western Hemisphere Needs U.S. Leadership Archived 2019-12-25 at the Wayback Machine, Americas Quarterly, 17 December 2018.
- Western Hemisphere Archived 2020-05-10 at the Wayback Machine, United States Department of Justice.
- Western Hemisphere Archived 2020-05-06 at the Wayback Machine, United States Department of Agriculture.
- Western Hemisphere Archived 2020-06-21 at the Wayback Machine, United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Western Hemisphere Archived 2020-04-05 at the Wayback Machine, Fulbright Program.
- References
- "Informe científico que estudia el Aconcagua, el Coloso de América mide 6960,8 metros" [Scientific Report on Aconcagua, the Colossus of America measures 6960,8m] (in Spanish). Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. 2012. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
External links
This article may be confusing or unclear to readers In particular much of the current article is anachronic This subject needs a more historical perspective the notion of Western Hemisphere is tightly linked to the widespread use of double hemisphere world maps in the 17th to 19th centuries and in this sense very similar in meaning to the New World Also the Greenwhich meridian was only standard from 1884 onwards Essentially all double hemisphere maps use a partition of hemispheres around what is now the 20th meridian west with most using that longitude as the prime meridian Please help clarify the article There might be a discussion about this on the talk page January 2025 Learn how and when to remove this message The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian which crosses Greenwich London England and east of the 180th meridian The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere Geo politically the term Western Hemisphere is often used as a metonym for the Americas or the New World even though geographically the hemisphere also includes parts of other continents Double hemisphere world map 1935GeographyThe Western Hemisphere consists of the Americas excluding some of the Aleutian Islands to the southwest of the Alaskan mainland the westernmost portions of Europe and Africa both mainland and islands the extreme eastern tip of the Russian mainland and islands North Asia numerous territories in Oceania and a large portion of Antarctica The center of the Western Hemisphere is located in the Pacific Ocean at the intersection of the 90th meridian west and the Equator among the Galapagos Islands The nearest land is Genovesa Island at 0 19 N 89 57 W 0 317 N 89 950 W 0 317 89 950 The highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere is Aconcagua in the Andes of Argentina at 6 960 8 m 22 837 ft The tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere is the CN Tower in Toronto at 553 3 m 1 815 ft and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere is One World Trade Center in New York City at 541 3 m 1 776 ft Alternative definitions In an attempt to match the Western Hemisphere more closely with the Americas some sources use the 20th meridian west and the diametrically opposed 160th meridian east to define the hemisphere This definition excludes all of the European and African mainlands but still includes some islands associated with these continents more of eastern Russia and Oceania and part of Antarctica It includes all islands of Alaska but excludes a small portion of northeast Greenland There is no hemisphere that includes all of the Americas that also excludes all land outside of it regardless of the meridians or points chosen to define it Sovereign states in both hemispheresBelow is a list of the sovereign states in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres on the IERS Reference Meridian in order from north to south Denmark due to the entirety of Greenland and the Faroe Islands Denmark proper lies entirely within the Eastern Hemisphere Norway due only to Jan Mayen Mainland Norway Svalbard and Bouvet Island lie entirely within the Eastern Hemisphere United Kingdom passing through Greenwich London Most of the country lies within the Western Hemisphere The Netherlands has overseas islands that lie entirely within the Western Hemisphere while mainland Netherlands lies entirely within the Eastern Hemisphere France passing through Puynormand Gironde About 1 3 of the country including cities like Nantes or Bordeaux as well as the overseas regions of Guadeloupe Martinique and French Guiana lie within the Western Hemisphere Spain passing through Castellon de la Plana Valencian Community Most of Spain including the capital Madrid the Canary Islands and the southern half of its Mediterranean territorial waters lies within the Western Hemisphere Spanish Moroccan and Algerian Mediterranean waters are the only part of the Mediterranean Sea located in the Western Hemisphere Algeria passing through Stidia About 1 4 of the country including Oran Algeria s second largest city lies within the Western Hemisphere Mali passing through the municipal area of Gao Most of Mali including the capital Bamako lies within the Western Hemisphere Burkina Faso passing through Lalgaye Most of the country including the capital Ouagadougou lies within the Western Hemisphere Ghana passing through Tema Most of Ghana including the capital Accra lies within the Western Hemisphere Togo passing near Tami Tone Prefecture in Savanes Region Below is a list of additional sovereign states which are in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres along the 180th meridian in order from north to south France is not listed below due to its inclusion above though the meridian does pass Wallis and Futuna With the exception of the United States due to Wake Island Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands all of them are located on just one side of the International Date Line which curves around them Russia passing through Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Its portion lying east of the 180th meridian is the only part of the country lying in the Western Hemisphere United States passing through the Aleutian Islands Alaska Except for the portion of Aleutian Islands and waters lying west of the 180th meridian Guam the Northern Mariana Islands and Wake Island most of the country lies east of the 180th meridian Kiribati passing close to Arorae The country has both the Equator and the 180th meridian antimeridian crossing through its territory It is the only country located in four hemispheres Tuvalu passing close to its capital Funafuti Fiji passing close to its dependency Rotuma and passing through Taveuni Most of New Zealand proper lies within the Eastern Hemisphere but Chatham Islands and Kermadec Islands as well as the self governing states of the Cook Islands and Niue and the dependent territory of Tokelau lie east of the 180th meridian Countries dependencies and other territories in the Western Hemisphere but not in the AmericasThe following countries and territories lie outside the Americas yet are entirely mostly or partially within the Western Hemisphere Africa Entirely Cape Verde Gambia Guinea Guinea Bissau Ivory Coast Liberia Madeira Portugal Mauritania Morocco Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha United Kingdom Ascension Island Saint Helena Tristan da Cunha Gough Island Senegal Sierra Leone Western Sahara disputed Mostly Burkina Faso Ghana MaliPartly Algeria Togo Antarctica EntirelyPeter I Island Antarctic Treaty parties Claimed by Norway South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Administered by the United Kingdom Claimed by Argentina South Orkney Islands Antarctic Treaty parties Claimed by Argentina and the United Kingdom South Shetland Islands Antarctic Treaty parties Claimed by Argentina Chile and the United Kingdom PartlyMainland Antarctica Antarctic Treaty parties East Antarctica partially Transantarctic Mountains partially West Antarctica entirely Asia Partly Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Russia Europe Entirely Bailiwick of Guernsey United Kingdom Alderney Guernsey Sark Bailiwick of Jersey United Kingdom Faroe Islands Denmark Gibraltar United Kingdom Iceland Isle of Man United Kingdom Jan Mayen Norway Portugal IrelandMostly Spain United Kingdom England mostly Northern Ireland entirely Scotland entirely Wales entirely Partly France Metropolitan Oceania Entirely American Samoa United States Chatham Islands New Zealand Clipperton Island France Cook Islands New Zealand Easter Island Chile Salas and Gomez Island French Polynesia France Tahiti Galapagos Islands Ecuador Hawaii United States Howland and Baker Islands United States Baker Island Howland Island Jarvis Island United States Johnston Atoll United States Kermadec Islands New Zealand Kingman Reef United States Midway Atoll United States Niue New Zealand Palmyra Atoll United States Pitcairn Henderson Ducie and Oeno Islands United Kingdom Samoa Tokelau New Zealand TongaMostly Kiribati Wallis and Futuna France Partly Fiji Rotuma TuvaluSee alsoEastern Hemisphere Land and water hemispheres Western worldReferencesOlson Judy M 1997 Projecting the hemisphere in Robinson Arthur H Snyder John P eds Matching the map projection to the need Bethesda MD Cartography and Geographic Information Society American Congress on Surveying and Mapping archived from the original on 2016 03 14 retrieved 2020 03 03 Western Hemisphere Merriam Webster s Geographical Dictionary 3rd ed Springfield Massachusetts Merriam Webster 2001 p 1294 Oxford Dictionary of English 2nd ed London UK Oxford University Press 2006 p 2001 Western Hemisphere Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary based on Collegiate vol 11th ed Springfield MA Merriam Webster 2006 Western Hemisphere Definition Britannica Archived from the original on 2020 06 08 Retrieved 2021 11 21 Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Archived 2020 05 28 at the Wayback Machine United States Department of State Western Hemisphere Archived 2020 10 03 at the Wayback Machine United States Department of the Treasury Western Hemisphere Archived 2020 05 27 at the Wayback Machine Office of the United States Trade Representative Joe Biden The Western Hemisphere Needs U S Leadership Archived 2019 12 25 at the Wayback Machine Americas Quarterly 17 December 2018 Western Hemisphere Archived 2020 05 10 at the Wayback Machine United States Department of Justice Western Hemisphere Archived 2020 05 06 at the Wayback Machine United States Department of Agriculture Western Hemisphere Archived 2020 06 21 at the Wayback Machine United States Fish and Wildlife Service Western Hemisphere Archived 2020 04 05 at the Wayback Machine Fulbright Program References Informe cientifico que estudia el Aconcagua el Coloso de America mide 6960 8 metros Scientific Report on Aconcagua the Colossus of America measures 6960 8m in Spanish Universidad Nacional de Cuyo 2012 Archived from the original on September 8 2012 Retrieved September 3 2012 External linksWikimedia Commons has 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