What Two Parts of the Globe Are Formed by the Equator?

The equator divides the Earth into a Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

The equator is an imaginary line that circles the Earth equidistant between the North and South Poles and divides the Earth into two hemispheres. The half of the Earth north of the equator is the Northern Hemisphere while the half of the Earth south of the equator is the Southern Hemisphere.

Lines of Latitude

Lines of latitude are parallel imaginary lines around the Earth; the equator represents zero degrees. Lines of latitude north and south of the equator denote a location's coordinates in relation to the equator. For example, 30 degrees north latitude is a line that is parallel and 30 degrees north of the equator.

The Southern Hemisphere

The Southern Hemisphere contains the continents of Australia, Antarctica, most of South America and the southern portion of Africa.

The Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere includes the continents of Europe, Asia, North America and portions of Africa and South America. The Northern Hemisphere also contains one entire ocean -- the Arctic Ocean -- though it is generally covered by ice.

References

• Richmond University: Hemispheres
• NASA: Latitude and Longitude
• U.S. Government National Atlas: Latitude and Longitude

Resources

• University of Tennessee-Knoxville: The Seasons