The Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the top half of Earth. It includes everything north of the equator, which is an imaginary line that circles the middle of our planet. If you think of Earth as a bunk bed, the Northern Hemisphere is like the top bunk! Most of the land and people on Earth live here.

What Is the Equator?

The equator is an invisible line halfway between the North and South Poles. Everything above (north of) this line is in the Northern Hemisphere. Everything below (south of) the equator is in the Southern Hemisphere.

What Is Included in the Northern Hemisphere?

This hemisphere includes all of North America, all of Europe, almost all of Asia (including Russia, China, India, and Japan), about two-thirds of Africa, and the northern parts of South America. It also contains the Arctic and the North Pole.

Key Facts

• The Northern Hemisphere has about 68% of Earth's land.
• Almost 90% of the world's people live here.
• It includes more countries and the world's largest countries, like Russia and Canada.

Seasons in the Northern Hemisphere

Seasons are different in the two hemispheres. In the Northern Hemisphere, summer happens from June to August, and winter happens from December to February. When it is winter in New York, it is summer in Australia! This is because the seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Why Most Land Is in the North

Most of Earth's land is in the Northern Hemisphere because the continents drifted this way over billions of years. The Southern Hemisphere is mostly ocean.

The North Pole and the Stars

The North Pole is the very top of the Northern Hemisphere, in the frozen Arctic Ocean. From here, all directions point south! People in the Northern Hemisphere can also see the North Star (Polaris) and the Big Dipper in the sky. These stars cannot be seen from far south.

Interesting Fact:
The Northern Hemisphere has more people, more land, and more countries than the Southern Hemisphere!