List of Countries in the Western Hemisphere

The countries in the western hemisphere include all of those to the west of the prime meridian.

The world can easily be divided into hemispheres across many different lines. The Prime Meridian is the most common dividing line between eastern and western hemispheres. The Prime Meridian falls directly through Greenwich, England, and is often regarded as the line dividing the "New World" from the "Old World." All of North and South America are within the western hemisphere. Countries like England, Spain, and many West African nations fall in both hemispheres, though most of Europe, Africa, and all of Asia fall within the eastern hemisphere when using the Prime Meridian as a guide.

North American Countries

New York City is one of the most famous cities in the Western Hemisphere.

The top of the western hemisphere begins with the frigid and snowy lands of Northern Canada, and extends down to the beaches of Southern Mexico. All four of North America's countries -- Canada, the United States, Greenland, and Mexico -- are squarely within the western hemisphere. Covered in every kind of geographical terrain, North America boasts beaches, deserts, mountains and rain forests.

Central American Countries

Central American countries are celebrated for their beautiful beaches.

Central American countries -- the counties on the land bridge between North and South America, including numerous island nations -- are also within the western hemisphere. Guatamala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama are the mainstay countries. Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico -- all islands -- share in the tropical lushness of their mainland counterparts. Central America has become a vacation hot spot for visitors from all over the world.

South American Countries

Brazil, located in South America, has a lot of breaktaking natural scenery.

South America countries are home to a host of cultures that are colorful and vibrant. All countries save Brazil speak Spanish -- Brazilians speak their own dialect of Portuguese. Some countries are covered in rain forests and some contain desert areas. In Chile and Argentina, it is even possible to take a snow skiing vacation. Other countries located in South America include Venezuela, Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Europe and Africa

Spain is located in both the eastern and western hemispheres.

The Prime Meridan, which divides the eastern and western hemispheres, is driven right through several countries, making these located in both hemispheres. Great Britain, France, Spain, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo all share a common dual hemisphere-ship. Countries in upper western Africa located in the West Hemisphere include Western Sahara, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Ivory Coast. European countries located squarely in the western hemisphere include Iceland, Ireland, and Portugal.

References

• U.S. State Department: Western Hemisphere
• World Atlas: Countries in Two Different Hemispheres