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The Greenwich or "Prime" meridian was arbitrarily defined as 0 degrees of longitude. Longitudinal positions are measured as either east or west from Greenwich. (The French for a while had a separate system that used the Paris meridian as 0 degrees). Since a sphere - the Earth - has 360 degrees of longitude half way around the east measurements and west measurements will meet. This is at E180 degrees or W180 degrees of longitude. This is the International Date Line. So, places that are located in longitudes east of Greenwich are in the eastern hemisphere and those west of Greenwich in the Western Hemisphere.

There is also a geopolitical interpretation of eastern-western hemisphere as well. Look at a map and you'll see that significant portions of Africa are western hemisphere nations and that much of Europe is in the eastern. The geopolitical interpretation groups European nations (and their eastern hemisphere developed former colonies) and North and South America as Western and everybody else as Eastern. That way the western hemisphere parts of Africa are excluded from "The West" and the SE Asian outliers of Australia and New Zealand are included as "Western" nations.

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What two lines divide the eastern and western hemisphere?

The Prime Meridian, which runs through Greenwich, London, marks the division between the eastern and western hemispheres. Additionally, the 180th meridian, also known as the International Date Line, further separates the two hemispheres.


What imaginary line splits the earth into east and west hemispheres?

The Prime Meridian is the meridian (line of longitude) at which longitude is defined to be 0°. The Prime Meridian and the opposite 180th meridian (at 180° longitude), which the generally follows, form a International date line great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Unlike the parallels of latitude, which are defined by the rotational axis of the Earth (the poles being 90° and the Equator 0°), the Prime Meridian is arbitrary. By international convention, the modern Prime Meridian is one passing through Greenwich, London, United Kingdom, known as the International Meridian or Greenwich Meridian. Historically, various meridians have been used, including four different ones through Greenwich.


Lines that separate eastern and western hemisphere?

The Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude) is the line that separates the eastern and western hemispheres. It runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, passing through Greenwich, London. Additionally, the 180th meridian, also known as the International Date Line, separates one calendar day from another and further divides the eastern and western hemispheres.


What continents does the greenwich meridian pass through?

The prime meridian, sometimes called the Greenwich meridian, passes through parts of Europe, Africa, and Antarctica.


Divides the earth into Eastern and Western hemisphere-?

The Prime Meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England, is the line that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Locations to the east are in the Eastern Hemisphere, while locations to the west are in the Western Hemisphere.

Related Questions

What two lines divide the eastern and western hemisphere?

The Prime Meridian, which runs through Greenwich, London, marks the division between the eastern and western hemispheres. Additionally, the 180th meridian, also known as the International Date Line, further separates the two hemispheres.


What imaginary line splits the earth into east and west hemispheres?

The Prime Meridian is the meridian (line of longitude) at which longitude is defined to be 0°. The Prime Meridian and the opposite 180th meridian (at 180° longitude), which the generally follows, form a International date line great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Unlike the parallels of latitude, which are defined by the rotational axis of the Earth (the poles being 90° and the Equator 0°), the Prime Meridian is arbitrary. By international convention, the modern Prime Meridian is one passing through Greenwich, London, United Kingdom, known as the International Meridian or Greenwich Meridian. Historically, various meridians have been used, including four different ones through Greenwich.


The meridian that divides the earth into two?

0 degree meridian. It is called the Prime Meridian. It separates the western and eastern hemispheres.


Which hemispheres do the Prime Meridian and the International Dateline divide the earth into?

The Prime Meridian divides the Earth into the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere, while the International Date Line divides the Earth into the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere as well.


Is Iran in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres?

Iran is north of the Equator and east of the Greenwich meridian, so it is in the Northern Hemisphere and also the Eastern Hemisphere.


Lines that separate eastern and western hemisphere?

The Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude) is the line that separates the eastern and western hemispheres. It runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, passing through Greenwich, London. Additionally, the 180th meridian, also known as the International Date Line, separates one calendar day from another and further divides the eastern and western hemispheres.


What continents does the greenwich meridian pass through?

The prime meridian, sometimes called the Greenwich meridian, passes through parts of Europe, Africa, and Antarctica.


Divides the earth into Eastern and Western hemisphere-?

The Prime Meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England, is the line that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Locations to the east are in the Eastern Hemisphere, while locations to the west are in the Western Hemisphere.


What is the imaginary line that divides the Earth into eastern and the Western hemispheres?

The imaginary line that divides the Earth into eastern and western hemispheres is the Prime Meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England. This line serves as the 0° line of longitude and separates the Eastern Hemisphere (to the east of the Prime Meridian) from the Western Hemisphere (to the west of the Prime Meridian).


What are the the hemispheres formed by the prime meridian and the international date line called?

Eastern and Western


The Prime Meridian is a line of?

Greenwich Meridian is a line of longatude.


What is the name of the imaginary line that divides the glove into eastern and western hemisphere?

The earth is divided into eastern and western hemispheres by the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian is zero longitude, and is a line that runs from pole to pole and passes through the Greenwich Observatory at Greenwich, London, Britain.