Southern Hemisphere

The half of Earth south of the equator, mostly ocean.

via Wikipedia: Southern Hemisphere · see source

The half of Earth located south of the equator is the Southern Hemisphere. It includes all of Antarctica and Oceania, roughly 90% of South America, about a third of Africa, and some Asian islands. Its oceans are the entire Southern Ocean, most of the Indian Ocean, and the South Atlantic and South Pacific. New Zealand and most Pacific Islands in Oceania are also here. Water covers 80.9% of its surface (compared to 60.7% in the Northern Hemisphere), and it holds 32.7% of Earth's land. Around 850 million people live here, about 10–12% of the global population.

Because of the planet's axial tilt, summer runs from December to February, winter from June to August. The vernal equinox falls on September 22 or 23, and the autumnal equinox on March 20 or 21. The South Pole sits at the center of this region.

Climates here are generally milder than at similar northern latitudes, except in Antarctica, which is colder than the Arctic. This is due to more ocean and less land—water heats and cools slower—plus oceanic heat transfer and differences in greenhouse trapping. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth, −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F), occurred at Antarctica's Vostok Station on July 21, 1983. The Southern Hemisphere's highest recorded temperature is 50.7 °C (123.3 °F), tied between Oodnadatta, South Australia (January 2, 1960) and Onslow, Western Australia (January 13, 2022). For comparison, the Northern Hemisphere's lowest was −69.6 °C (−93.3 °F) in Greenland on December 22, 1991.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun travels from east to west through the northern sky, so shadows turn anticlockwise and sundial hours increase anticlockwise. North of the Tropic of Capricorn, the mean Sun can be directly overhead or due south at midday. During solar eclipses viewed south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the Moon moves left to right across the Sun; north of the Tropic of Cancer, it moves right to left. The Coriolis effect makes cyclones and tropical storms spin clockwise here, opposite to the Northern Hemisphere. The southern temperate zone is almost entirely oceanic.

The night sky is excellent for viewing: the Sagittarius constellation (which contains the galactic center) and both Magellanic Clouds are southern constellations, and skies are clearer with brighter, more numerous stars. Air pollution is significantly lower than in the Northern Hemisphere, since most people and major industrial powers—including high-emission countries like China and India—are in the north. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster left no radiation traces in the Southern Hemisphere, though it affected parts of the Northern Hemisphere like the United States, Canada, and Japan.

Forests here have unique features. Chile and Australia share Nothofagus beech species, while New Zealand has the related Lophozonia and Fuscospora. Eucalyptus, native to Australia, is now planted in Southern Africa and Latin America for pulp and biofuels. Some African animals, like chimpanzees and gorillas, live in both hemispheres. Eastern gorillas are native to three Southern Hemisphere countries: Rwanda (entirely below the equator), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda (trans-hemispheric). Western gorillas inhabit Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo, plus Northern Hemisphere countries Cameroon and Nigeria. Common chimpanzees range widely across Africa, from Guinea and Senegal in the north to Tanzania and Uganda in the east, with populations partly or wholly south of the equator in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo. The bonobo is a distinct species from the common chimpanzee.

Quick Facts

Area water percentage: 80.9%
Land percentage: 32.7% of Earth's land
Population: More than 850 million (10–12% of global population)
Lowest temperature: −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) at Vostok Station, Antarctica, July 21, 1983
Summer months: December to February
Winter months: June to August

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Forests in the Southern Hemisphere have special features which set them apart from those in the Northern Hemisphere. Both Chile and Australia share unique beech species or Nothofagus, and New Zealand has members of the closely related genera Lophozonia and Fuscospora. The eucalyptus is native to Australia but is now also planted in Southern Africa and Latin America for pulp production, and increasingly, biofuel uses. Some African animals like chimpanzees and gorillas live in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere portions of Africa. Eastern gorillas are native to three Southern Hemisphere countries; Rwanda (which is entirely below the equator) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda (which are trans-hemispheric countries). Western gorillas can be found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. The bonobo species is exclusive to the Southern Hemisphere, being endemic to forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo south of the Congo River. Giraffes occur predominantly in the Southern Hemisphere, with substantial populations in countries such as Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The spectacled bear is the only bear species which occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, found in certain South American countries like Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. One of the most notable animals to be found almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere is the penguin. Australia and Madagascar developed many endemic animals due to their geological isolation, including kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, Tasmanian devils, emus, echidnas, quokkas, cassowaries, lemurs, aye-ayes, fossas, indris, sifakas and panther chameleons. Dodos were endemic to the formerly uninhabited island of Mauritius, which is located in the Indian Ocean and Southern Hemisphere; the animal went extinct in 1681. Several domestic dog breeds were developed in the Southern Hemisphere, including Australian cattle dogs, Australian kelpies, Australian silky terriers, Australian terriers, Bardino Majoreros, Brazilian terriers, Bull Arabs, Chilean terriers, Cimarrón Uruguayos, Cordoba fighting dogs, Dogo Argentinos, Fila Brasileiros, Pampas deerhounds, Peruvian Inca orchids and Tenterfield terriers. 33 kilometers from Brazil's Atlantic coast lies Ilha da Queimada Grande, an island commonly known as 'Snake Island' due to its large population of venomous snakes; it is the only known natural habitat of the golden lancehead.

Reader's Guide

Owing to the tilt of Earth's rotation relative to the Sun and the ecliptic plane, summer is from December to February (inclusive) and winter is from June to August (inclusive). September 22 or 23 is the vernal equinox and March 20 or 21 is the autumnal equinox. The South Pole is in the centre of the southern hemispherical region. Southern Hemisphere climates tend to be slightly milder than those at similar latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, except in the Antarctic which is colder than the Arctic. This is because the Southern Hemisphere has significantly more ocean and much less land; water heats up and cools down more slowly than land. Antarctica's Vostok Station holds the record for the Southern Hemisphere's lowest temperature at −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) on July 21, 1983. This is also the lowest temperature ever recorded on earth. The Southern Hemisphere's highest recorded temperature is tied at 50.7 °C (123.3 °F) between Oodnadatta, South Australia on January 2, 1960 and Onslow, Western Australia on January 13, 2022. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun passes from east to west through the north, although north of the Tropic of Capricorn the mean Sun can be directly overhead or due south at midday. Sun-cast shadows turn anticlockwise throughout the day and sundials have the hours increasing in the anticlockwise direction. The Coriolis effect causes cyclones and tropical storms to spin clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, as opposed to anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. The southern temperate zone is nearly all oceanic. The Sagittarius constellation that includes the galactic centre is a southern constellation as well as both Magellanic Clouds. This, combined with clearer skies, makes for excellent viewing of the night sky from the Southern Hemisphere with brighter and more numerous stars. The Southern Hemisphere has significantly less polluted air than the Northern Hemisphere, and was unimpacted by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.