Hemispheres Quiz

Northern or Southern? Eastern or Western? Place each country.

Northern or southern, eastern or western — place countries in the right hemisphere, and meet the one country that is in all four.

The four hemispheres

The Equator divides north from south. The Prime Meridian and the 180th meridian divide east from west. Every point on Earth sits in one northern-or-southern half and one eastern-or-western half.

The distribution is lopsided

Most of the world's land and the overwhelming majority of its people are in the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere is mostly ocean, which is why it has far fewer countries and why its seasons and climate patterns behave differently.

All of North America, Europe and Asia are northern. Most of Africa is northern, though it straddles the Equator. South America is mostly southern. Australia and most of Oceania are southern. Antarctica is entirely southern.

The countries that straddle the Equator

A small set sit in both northern and southern hemispheres: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, the DR Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Kiribati.

Ecuador is named after the Equator, which makes it the easiest one to remember.

Kiribati is in all four

Kiribati's islands straddle both the Equator and the International Date Line, putting parts of the country in the northern, southern, eastern and western hemispheres simultaneously. It is the only country in the world that can claim this, and it is one of the most reliably asked hemisphere questions.

The east-west confusion

This half causes more errors than north-south, because the Prime Meridian runs through Greenwich in London and therefore splits the UK, France, Spain, Algeria, Mali and Ghana between hemispheres.

And the 180th meridian runs through the Pacific, which is why Russia — enormous and spanning nearly half the globe's longitude — has territory in both eastern and western hemispheres.

Why hemispheres matter

Seasons are reversed between north and south, which is why Australian Christmas is in summer. Ocean currents and storm systems rotate in opposite directions either side of the Equator. And the visible night sky is different, which is why the Southern Cross appears on so many southern-hemisphere flags and on none from the north.

That last point connects directly to the flag quizzes — Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Brazil all put southern stars on their flags.

Frequently asked questions

Which country is in all four hemispheres?

Kiribati. Its islands straddle both the Equator and the International Date Line, placing parts of the country in the northern, southern, eastern and western hemispheres at the same time — the only country in the world that does.

Which hemisphere has more land?

The Northern Hemisphere, by a wide margin, along with the overwhelming majority of the world's population. The Southern Hemisphere is mostly ocean, which is why it contains far fewer countries.

Which countries lie on the Equator?

Thirteen or so, including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, both Congos, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe and Kiribati. Ecuador is named after the Equator, which makes it the easiest to remember.

Why is the Southern Cross on so many flags?

Because it is visible only from the Southern Hemisphere, so it works as a regional identifier. Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Brazil all use southern stars on their flags, and no northern-hemisphere country does.

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