Eastern Hemisphere

Lore & Background

The Eastern Hemisphere encompasses the half of Earth lying east of the prime meridian (which runs through Greenwich, London) and west of the antimeridian at 180° longitude. This boundary, an arbitrary convention established in 1884 at the International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C., forms an almost perfect circle around the oblate spheroid planet. The hemisphere is often equated with Afro-Eurasia and Australia, and is sometimes called the "Oriental Hemisphere" or, in a cultural sense, the "Old World." Its landmass is larger than that of the Western Hemisphere and contains a wide variety of habitats. The Indian Ocean is the only ocean entirely within this hemisphere, and its center lies at the intersection of the equator and the 90th meridian east, about 910 kilometers west of Indonesia. The center of all land in the Eastern Hemisphere (excluding Antarctica) is located in southern Afghanistan. While Russia holds the largest total land area here, China is the largest country entirely within the hemisphere. The boundary does not perfectly align with continents: portions of Western Europe, West Africa, Oceania, and extreme northeastern Russia fall in the Western Hemisphere. An alternative boundary using the 20°W and 160°E meridians is sometimes employed outside navigation and physics, as it keeps all of Europe and Africa’s mainlands within the Eastern Hemisphere, though it excludes more of eastern Russia and Oceania.

Reader's Guide

The Eastern Hemisphere holds the majority of Earth's landmass and a wide variety of habitats. Its center of land (excluding Antarctica) lies in southern Afghanistan. The Indian Ocean is the only ocean entirely within it. The hemisphere includes 18 independent countries with no land borders, such as Australia, Japan, and Madagascar. Many African and European countries lie entirely within it, while some straddle the prime meridian. Animals exclusive to the Eastern Hemisphere include kangaroos, koalas, pandas, and orangutans. Human history in the region includes early migrations from Africa, settlement of Pacific landmasses, and later colonial encounters during the Age of Discovery. The Eastern Hemisphere is often synonymous with the 'Old World.'

Did You Know?

• The Land Hemisphere, centered near 47°N, 1°E near Nantes, France, contains the largest possible area of land, including most of the world's continents and major landmasses.
• The Water Hemisphere, centered near 47°S, 179°W in the South Pacific Ocean, contains the largest possible area of water, including most of the Indian, Pacific, and Southern Oceans.
• The Eastern Hemisphere is defined by the Prime meridian, which splits the globe into eastern and western halves.
• The Equator divides Earth into northern and southern hemispheres, while the Prime meridian divides it into eastern and western hemispheres.
• Hemispheres can be divided geographically or culturally, or based on religion or prominent geographic features.