Which Continents Are in the Western Hemisphere?
Interactive passage with audio narration, comprehension questions, and printable PDF.
By completing this purchase you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Your subscription renews automatically until you cancel. You can cancel anytime from your account settings. All sales are final and non-refundable. Digital content is available for download in your account immediately upon purchase.
What's included
Which Continents Are in the Western Hemisphere? preview and details
About this printable Which Continents Are in the Western Hemisphere? reading passage (Grades 3-7)
Sample passage and quiz from Which Continents Are in the Western Hemisphere?
Reading passage and comprehension quiz preview
Which Continents Are in the Western Hemisphere?
What is the Western Hemisphere?
The Earth is divided into halves, called hemispheres. The Western Hemisphere is one of these halves. It is the part of Earth that lies west of the prime meridian, an invisible line that runs through England at 0° longitude. Everything to the west of this line is in the Western Hemisphere.
Which Continents Are in the Western Hemisphere?
North America and South America are special because they are the only continents completely in the Western Hemisphere. This means all their countries—like the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina—are on the 'west side' of Earth. Central America and the Caribbean islands are also in this half.
Some other continents have small parts in the Western Hemisphere. The western tips of Europe—like Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Iceland—stick out just a little into the Western Hemisphere. A tiny part of Africa, including Morocco and some countries in West Africa, also crosses into it. Even the western half of Antarctica is in the Western Hemisphere!
Why Does the Split Happen?
The split is because of the prime meridian. It helps people use maps and find places on Earth. Anything west of the prime meridian is in the Western Hemisphere—even if it’s just a small piece of a country or continent.
Fun Geography Facts!
North America is home to the world’s largest island country, Canada, while South America has Brazil, the largest country in its continent. The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans between these continents. The Americas stretch all the way from the freezing Arctic down to the icy Antarctic!
The Western Hemisphere is like a cozy home for the Americas—both continents fit completely inside, while Europe and Africa just have their toes poking through the door!
Why Does Location Matter?
Where a continent is on Earth affects its seasons, trade routes, and time zones. For example, when it is summer in North America, it is winter in parts of the Eastern Hemisphere. These differences shape how people live, work, and travel around the world.
Interesting Fact:
There are 35 countries in the Americas, and every single city, mountain, and river in North and South America is in the Western Hemisphere!
Comprehension quiz (8 questions)
1. Which continents are fully in the Western Hemisphere?
2. What line splits the hemispheres?
3. Which country is the largest in South America?
4. Why do only parts of Europe and Africa enter the Western Hemisphere?
5. How does location affect seasons?
6. What does the Panama Canal connect?
7. Antarctica is in the Western Hemisphere. True or false?
8. What does 'hemisphere' mean?
Perfect for the way you teach
- Build comprehension skills
- Auto-graded quiz
- Differentiated reading
- Read together at home
- Improve fluency
- Quiet reading time
- Reading curriculum support
- Independent practice
- Track Lexile growth
