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Southern Hemisphere

Coordinates:45°0′0″S0°0′0″E/ 45.00000°S 0.00000°E/-45.00000; 0.00000
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This article is about the southern half of planet Earth. For use of the term describing astronomical observations, seeSouthern celestial hemisphere.
The Southern Hemisphere from above theSouth Pole
The Southern Hemisphere is highlighted in yellow. The hemispheres appear to be unequal in this image becauseAntarcticais not shown.

TheSouthern Hemisphereis the half (hemisphere) ofEarththat issouthof theEquator.It contains all or parts of fivecontinents[1](the whole ofAntarctica,the whole ofAustralia,about 90% ofSouth America,about one-third ofAfrica,and some islands off the continentalmainlandofAsia) and fouroceans(the wholeSouthern Ocean,the majority of theIndian Ocean,theSouth Atlantic Ocean,and theSouth Pacific Ocean), as well asNew Zealandand most of thePacific IslandsinOceania.Its surface is 80.9% water, compared with 60.7% water in theNorthern Hemisphere,and it contains 32.7% of Earth's land.[2]

Owing to the tilt ofEarth's rotationrelative to theSunand theecliptic plane,summeris from December to February (inclusive) andwinteris from June to August (inclusive). September 22 or 23 is the vernalequinoxand March 20 or 21 is the autumnal equinox. TheSouth Poleis in the centre of the southern hemispherical region.

Characteristics[edit]

Southern Hemisphereclimatestend to be slightly milder than those at similar latitudes in theNorthern Hemisphere,except in theAntarcticwhich is colder than theArctic.This is because the Southern Hemisphere has significantly more ocean and much less land; water heats up and cools down more slowly than land.[3]The differences are also attributed to oceanic heat transfer and differing extents of greenhouse trapping.[4]

Aurora australisappearing in the night sky ofSwifts Creek,100 km (62 mi) north ofLakes Entrance,Victoria,Australia.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun passes from east to west through the north, although north of theTropic of Capricornthemean Suncan be directly overhead or due south at midday. The Sun follows a right-to-left trajectory through the northern sky unlike the left-to-right motion of the Sun when seen from the Northern Hemisphere as it passes through the southern sky. Sun-cast shadows turn anticlockwise throughout the day andsundialshave the hours increasing in theanticlockwisedirection. Duringsolar eclipsesviewed from a point to the south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the Moon moves from left to right on the disc of the Sun (see, for example, photos with timings of thesolar eclipse of November 13, 2012), while viewed from a point to the north of theTropic of Cancer(i.e., in the Northern Hemisphere), the Moon moves from right to left during solar eclipses.

TheCoriolis effectcauses cyclones and tropical storms to spin clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, as opposed toanticlockwisein the Northern Hemisphere.[5]

The southerntemperate zone,a subsection of the Southern Hemisphere, is nearly all oceanic.

TheSagittariusconstellation that includes thegalactic centreis a southern constellation as well as bothMagellanic Clouds.This, combined with clearer skies, makes for excellent viewing of the night sky from the Southern Hemisphere with brighter and more numerous stars.

Aurora australis appearing fromStewart Island/Rakiurain the south ofNew Zealand.

Forests in the Southern Hemisphere have special features which set them apart from those in the Northern Hemisphere. BothChileandAustraliashare, for example, uniquebeechspecies orNothofagus,andNew Zealandhas members of the closely related generaLophozoniaandFuscospora.Theeucalyptusis native toAustraliabut is now also planted inSouthern AfricaandLatin Americafor pulp production, and increasingly,biofueluses.

One of the most notable animals to be found almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere is thepenguin.A species is found aroundIsabela Islandon theGalápagosarchipelago in thePacific Ocean,which straddles the equator.[6]However, most of Isabela and the rest of the archipelago is located in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is deemed by theInternational Hydrographic Organizationas being wholly within the South Pacific Ocean, rather than the North Pacific.[7]

Demographics and human geography[edit]

A photo of Earth fromApollo 17(Blue Marble) with the south pole at the top and the continent of Africa

More than 850 million people live in the Southern Hemisphere, representing around 10–12% of the total global human population.[8][9]Of those 850 million people, more than 215 million live inBrazil,the largest country by land area in the Southern Hemisphere, while more than 150 million live inJava,the most populous island in the world. The most populous country in the Southern Hemisphere isIndonesia,with 275 million people (roughly 30 million of whom live north of the Equator on the northern portions of the islands ofSumatra,Borneo,andSulawesi,as well as most ofNorth Maluku,while the rest of the population lives in the Southern Hemisphere).[citation needed]Portugueseis the most spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere, with over 230 million speakers in six countries – mostly in Brazil, but also inAngola,Mozambique,East Timor,and small parts ofEquatorial GuineaandSão Tomé and Príncipethat lie south of theEquator.[10]

Among the largest metropolitan areas in the Southern Hemisphere areJakarta(34 million people),São Paulo(22 million),Kinshasa-Brazzaville(19 million),Buenos Aires(16 million),Rio de Janeiro(12 million),Johannesburg,Lima(11 million each),Surabaya(10 million),Bandung(9 million),Luanda(8 million),Dar es Salaam,Santiago(7 million each),Belo Horizonte,Semarang(6 million each),Sydney,MelbourneandCape Town(5 million each). Important financial and commercial centres in the Southern Hemisphere includeSão Paulo,where theB3 (stock exchange)is headquartered, along with Sydney, home to theAustralian Securities Exchange,Jakarta, the seat of theIndonesia Stock Exchange,Johannesburg,home to theJohannesburg Stock Exchange,and Buenos Aires, headquarters of theBuenos Aires Stock Exchange,the oldest stock market in the Southern Hemisphere.

Common tourist destinations in the Southern Hemisphere includeBali,Buenos Aires,Cape Town,Easter Island,Lima,Rio de Janeiro,SydneyandTahiti.[11][12]According to a 2017 report, the most popular Southern Hemisphere "bucket list"destinations among Australians wereAntarctica,New Zealand,theGalápagos Islands,South AfricaandPeru.[13]

Quito, Ecuadoris the closest major city to theequatorial lineon the planet, andUshuaia, Argentinaclaims the title of world's southernmost city. Cape Town,Christchurch,Hobart,Punta Arenasand Ushuaia are officially acknowledged as the five internationalAntarctic gateway citiesthat serve as primary entry points for travel to the Antarctic region.[14][15]

Among the most developed nations in the Southern Hemisphere is Australia, with a nominal GDP per capita of US$63,487 and aHuman Development Index(HDI) of 0.946, the tenth-highest in the world as of the 2024 report. New Zealand is also well developed, with a nominal GDP per capita of US$48,072 and an HDI of 0.939, putting it at number 16 in the world in 2024. The least developed nations in the Southern Hemisphere cluster in Africa and Oceania, withMozambiqueandBurundiat the lowest ends of the HDI, at 0.461 (number 183 in the world) and 0.420 (number 187 in the world), respectively. The nominal GDPs per capita of these two countries do not go above US$650, a tiny fraction of the incomes enjoyed by Australians and New Zealanders.

The Southern Hemisphere has long been secondary in the global distribution of demographic, economic and political power, as it has less land than the Northern Hemisphere.[16]In recent times, however, countries such as Australia have made greater efforts to economically engage with those from their hemisphere.[16]Before theAge of Discovery,the Southern Hemisphere was largely cut off from the cultural constructs of theWesternandEastern worlds.[16]Some view both the West and the East as being Northern Hemisphere-centric concepts.[17]

The most widespread religions in the modern Southern Hemisphere areChristianity,prevalent in South America, Africa, Oceania, andEast Timor,followed byIslamin East Africa andIndonesia,andHinduism,which is mostly concentrated on/around the islands ofBali,Mauritius,andFiji.

The oldest continuously inhabited city in the Southern Hemisphere isBogor,in westernJava,which was founded in669.Ancient texts from the Hindu kingdoms prevalent in the area definitively record669 CEas the year when Bogor was founded. However, some evidence shows thatZanzibar,an ancient port with around 200,000 inhabitants off the coast ofTanzania,may be older than Bogor. A Greco-Roman text written between1and100 CE,thePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea,mentioned the island ofMenuthias(Ancient Greek:Μενουθιάς) as a trading port on the east African coast, which is probably the small Tanzanian island ofUngujaon which Zanzibar is located. The oldest monumental civilizations in the Southern Hemisphere are theNorte Chico civilizationandCasma–Sechin culturefrom the northern coast of Peru. These civilizations built cities, pyramids, and plazas in the coastal river valleys of northern Peru with some ruins dating back to3600 BCE.Easter Island,located about 3,500 kilometres fromChileandFrench Polynesia,is considered to be the most remote place on Earth to have been permanently inhabited by humans before the Age of Discovery.[18]It was settled by aPolynesiangroup known as theRapa Nui.Areas of the Southern Hemisphere that had no contact with humans before the Age of Discovery includeChristmas IslandandMauritius(in theIndian Ocean), theGalápagos Islands,Juan Fernández IslandsandLord Howe Island(in the South Pacific), theFalkland IslandsandTristan da Cunha(in theSouth Atlantic) and the continent ofAntarctica.

Continents or submerged continents[edit]

Africa
About one-third of the continent, from south ofMogadishuinSomaliain the east to south ofLibrevilleinGabonin the west. From theEquator(Latitude:0°) toCape Agulhas(Latitude:34°50′S).
Antarctica
The entire continent and its associated islands are within the Southern Hemisphere. FromPrime Head,at the northern tip of theTrinity Peninsula(Latitude:63°12′48″S) to theSouth Pole(Latitude:90° S).
Asia
The entire continental mainland is within theNorthern Hemisphere,only the southern portion ofMaritime Southeast Asia,includingEast Timorand most ofIndonesia,plus theBritish Indian Ocean Territoryandtwo out of 26 atollsofMaldivesin theIndian Ocean.From theEquator(Latitude:0°) toPamana Island,Indonesia(Latitude:11°00'S).
Australia
The entire continent and most of its associated islands are within the Southern Hemisphere. From theEquator(Latitude:0°) toBishop and Clerk Islets,Tasmania,Australia(Latitude:55°03′ S).
South America
Most of the continent, from south of theAmazon Rivermouth inBrazilin the east to north ofQuitoinEcuadorin the west. From theEquator(Latitude:0°) toÁguila Islet,Diego Ramírez Islands,Chile(Latitude:56°32′16″S), or, if theSouth Sandwich Islandsare included as part of South America,Cook Island,South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands(Latitude:59°29′20″S).
Zealandia
The entiresubmerged continent,includingNew Caledonia,New Zealand,Norfolk Island,and other associated low-lying islands above sea level, is within the Southern Hemisphere. FromBelep,New Caledonia,France(Latitude:19°45′00″S) toJacquemart Island(Latitude:52°37′S).

Mainland countries or territories[edit]

Africa
Entirely —
Mostly —
Partly —
Asia
The entire continental mainland is wholly within theNorthern Hemisphere.Only the southern portion ofMaritime Southeast Asia,plus theBritish Indian Ocean Territoryand two out of 26atollsofMaldivesin theIndian Oceanare in the Southern Hemisphere.
Americas
Entirely —
Mostly —
Partly —
Antarctica
Entirely —
Australia
Entirely —

Island countries or territories[edit]

Atlantic Ocean[edit]

Entirely —

Partly —

Indian Ocean[edit]

Entirely —

Partly —

Pacific Ocean[edit]

Entirely —

Mostly —

Partly —

Southern Ocean[edit]

Entirely —

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Hemisphere Map".WorldAtlas.Archivedfrom the original on 22 April 2021.Retrieved13 June2014.
  2. ^Life on Earth: A - G.. 1.ABC-CLIO.2002. p. 528.ISBN9781576072868.Archivedfrom the original on 22 January 2023.Retrieved8 September2016.
  3. ^Granite specific heat = 0.79 and water = 4.18 J/g⋅K seeHeat capacity#Table of specific heat capacities.
  4. ^Kang, Sarah M.; Seager, Richard."Croll Revisited: Why is the Northern Hemisphere Warmer than the Southern Hemisphere?"(PDF).Columbia University.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-09-07.Retrieved2018-05-02.
  5. ^"Surface Ocean Currents".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Service Education. Archived fromthe originalon 6 July 2017.Retrieved13 June2014.
  6. ^Rix-Standing, Luke (2021-04-25)."World Penguin Day: 6 places you'd never have thought you could see them".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-03-05.Retrieved2022-03-05.
  7. ^International Hydrographic Organization (1953)."Limits of Oceans and Seas"(PDF).Nature.172(4376) (3rd ed.): 484.Bibcode:1953Natur.172R.484..doi:10.1038/172484b0.S2CID36029611.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 8 October 2011.Retrieved28 December2020.
  8. ^"90% Of People Live In The Northern Hemisphere - Business Insider".Business Insider.4 May 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 19 January 2018.Retrieved3 January2023.
  9. ^"GIC - Article".galegroup.com.Archivedfrom the original on 18 April 2016.Retrieved3 January2023.
  10. ^"Potencial Económico da Língua Portuguesa"(PDF).University of Coimbra.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-10-24.Retrieved2017-05-15.
  11. ^Bahamondes, Bianca (2016-11-17)."10 Best Southern Hemisphere Destinations Where It Will Soon Be Summer".The Daily Meal.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-03-05.Retrieved2022-03-05.
  12. ^"Southern Hemisphere round the world holiday with Easter Island and Tahiti".Travel Nation.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-03-05.Retrieved2022-03-05.
  13. ^"Aussies set for summer exodus".The Australian.
  14. ^Salazar, Juan Francisco; James, Paul; Leane, Elizabeth; Magee, Liam (2021)."Antarctic Cities: From Gateways to Custodial Cities".Institute for Culture and Society.Western Sydney University.Penrith,New South Wales:193.ISBN9781741085280.
  15. ^Roldan, Gabriela (2015)."A door to the ice?: the significance of the Antarctic Gateway Cities today".Journal of Antarctic Affairs.2:58–70.
  16. ^abcBenjamin Reilly (July 2013)."Australia as a Southern Hemisphere power"(PDF).www.files.ethz.ch.Australian Strategic Policy Institute.Archived(PDF)from the original on 28 March 2022.Retrieved17 March2022.
  17. ^Paton, Michelle; Chengmin, Zhang (January 2014)."Southern culture and the North/South divide: More than a metaphor".The Journal of the Oriental Society of Australia.46:26–40.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-22.Retrieved2022-02-25– via search.informit.org (Atypon).
  18. ^Hemm, Robert & Mendez, Marcelo. (2003).Aerial Surveys of Isle De Pasqua: Easter Island and the New Birdmen.10.1007/978-1-4615-0183-1_12

External links[edit]

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