Which hemispheres is the us in

Because the Southern Hemisphere has significantly more ocean and less land, climates tend to be milder than similar latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. This is because water heats up and cools more slowly than land. Regarding land, the Southern Hemisphere contains all or a portion of five continents , including:. Jakarta, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, Sydney, and Melbourne are some of the largest metropolitan areas that are located in the Southern Hemisphere.

The areas that are located in the east of the Prime Meridian and the west of the antemeridian are considered to be a part of the Eastern Hemisphere.

Often referred to as the "Oriental Hemisphere" and occasionally in a cultural and geopolitical sense the " Old World ," this hemisphere includes major parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

A part of Antarctica is also located here. The Eastern Hemisphere encompasses a greater land area compared to that of the Western Hemisphere. The areas that are located in the west of the Prime Meridian and the east of the antemeridian are considered as parts of the Western Hemisphere. The extreme eastern edge of the Russian mainland is also a part of the Western Hemisphere. The United States, for example, is in both the Northern and Western hemispheres and Australia is in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.

Which hemispheres are you in? Determining whether you are in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere is easy—simply ask yourself if the equator is north or south of your position. This tells you your longitudinal hemisphere because the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere are divided by the equator.

All points on Earth that are south of the equator are in the Southern Hemisphere. Climate is the biggest difference between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Along and close to the equator zero degrees latitude , the climate is very tropical and relatively unchanging throughout the year. As you move away from the equator—either north or south—distinct seasons are experienced that become more extreme as you travel beyond 40 degrees of latitude.

This is most notable in the heavily populated Northern Hemisphere as the 40th parallel bisects the United States and runs across Europe and Asia along the Mediterranean Sea. The Northern and Southern Hemispheres have opposite seasons. In December, people in the Northern Hemisphere are beginning winter and those living in the Southern Hemisphere are enjoying summer—vice versa in June.

Meteorological seasons are caused by the Earth's tilt toward or away from the sun. During the month of December, the Southern Hemisphere is angled toward the sun and thus experiences warmer temperatures. The Equator , or line of 0 degrees latitude, divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. There are differences in the climates of the Northern and Southern hemispheres because of the Earth's seasonal tilt toward and away from the sun.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the warmer summer months are from June through September.