Hemispheres of the Earth

The zero meridian and the longitude of 180, which corresponds approximately to the date line, divide the earth into two hemispheres ( cerebral hemispheres ), the Western and Eastern Hemisphere. In contrast to the northern and southern hemispheres, the distribution is not dictated by the Erdgeometrie, but determined by the zero meridian.

According to this definition include Europe, west of London, West Africa (including the Maghreb ), the largest part of the Atlantic, America and large parts of the Pacific to the western hemisphere. Overall, only about 15 percent of the world population living in the western hemisphere, in the eastern, one of the Asia, corresponding to 85 %.

Today, with Western hemisphere usually the New World, so the double continent America and the islands of the Caribbean meant, among other things, in particular from the perspective of the Monroe Doctrine the United States.

During the Cold War was referred to as the Western Hemisphere part of the world, who was in his political principles in the United States -based or a member of NATO.