What is one of the main reasons you divide the world into the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere rather than into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere?

Answer 1

Both differentiations are often made, but the world is sometimes arbitrarily divided between the Eastern and Western hemispheres as a mark between the "New World" (the Americas, perceived as a vast new land to colonize and expand into by European and a few Asian kingdoms) and the "Old World." This is also where we get the geographic regional names "Middle East" and "Far East."

The dividing line is the Prime Meridian, or zero degrees longitude, which runs through Greenich, England; most (but not all) of Europe and Africa lies to the east of this line. The "far boundary" is at 180 degrees longitude, roughly where the International Date Line is. Extreme eastern Russia does cross 180 degrees longitude and is technically in the Western Hemisphere, though the International Date Line was drawn in the Bering Straight between Asia and North America (and Russia and the United States) to keep it on the same day with the majority of Asia. Crossing the International Date Line boundary, going eastward, one must set one's calendar back by a day.

Answer 2

The Earth is divided into Eastern and Western Hemispheres based on the Prime Meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England. This division is widely used in geography and navigation as it helps establish a standard reference point for time and location. The division into Northern and Southern Hemispheres is primarily based on the equator and is more commonly used to describe climate patterns and seasonal variations.