This positioning places them on the opposite side of the globe from the Eastern Hemisphere, which contains Europe, Asia, and Australia, shaping everything from time zones to international trade routes. Both continents are primarily positioned in the Northern Hemisphere (the half of the Earth north of the Equator) or straddle it.
Western Hemisphere Location of North and South America
South America has a significant portion of its territory, including the Amazon rainforest, lying in the Southern Hemisphere, but its northern edge crosses the Equator, placing the entire continent in the Western Hemisphere regardless of its north-south position. A small portion of the northernmost region, specifically the San Andrés and Providencia islands belonging to Colombia, technically falls into the Northern Hemisphere, but the vast majority of the landmass resides in the west.
Both North America and South America are primarily located within the Western Hemisphere, a designation based on the longitudinal coordinates west of the Prime Meridian. The designation is purely geographical and is used extensively in fields like cartography, meteorology, and astronomy to define longitudinal coordinates and celestial observations.
Western Hemisphere Location of North and South America
South America's Hemisphere Location Similarly, South America is predominantly a Western Hemisphere continent, though it sits much farther south and is slightly more centralized in terms of longitude compared to North America. Implications of Hemisphere Location The fact that both continents reside in the Western Hemisphere has profound implications.
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