The Earth is divided three different ways: 1) two hemispheres, north and south; 2) east and west; and 3) land and water. The northern and southern hemispheres are divided by the equator, which is the 0o latitude line. The space between two meridians is greatest at the equator and gets proportionately smaller as you move toward either pole.

Countries have agreed to divide the eastern and western hemispheres along the 20o west and 160o east longitude lines. The eastern hemisphere includes the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The western hemisphere includes North and South America.

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Please send any comments to:
Curator: Tom.Benson@grc.nasa.gov
Responsible Official: Kathy.Zona@grc.nasa.gov