Water hemisphere facts for kids
The water hemisphere is a special way to divide our planet Earth into two halves. It's the half that has the most water on its surface. Imagine Earth as a giant ball; if you could find the exact spot where the most water is, that would be the center of the water hemisphere! This center point is located near New Zealand, specifically at about 47 degrees south and 178 degrees east.
The other half of Earth is called the land hemisphere. As you might guess, the land hemisphere has more land than water. These two hemispheres are like two puzzle pieces that fit together to make our whole planet.
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Where is the Water Hemisphere?
The water hemisphere covers a huge part of our Earth. It includes most of the giant Pacific Ocean and a large part of the Indian Ocean. If you look at a map, you'll see that these oceans take up a lot of space!
Land in the Water Hemisphere
Even though it's called the "water hemisphere," it still has some land. The main landmasses you'll find here are Australia and New Zealand. You'll also find a small part of Southeast Asia and the southern tip of South America.
Antarctica's Role
When we talk about the land in the water hemisphere, Antarctica is a bit special. Most of Antarctica is covered in ice, but underneath that ice is a large continent.
- If we don't count Antarctica as land in the water hemisphere, then this half of Earth has only about one-eighth (1/8) of the world's total land. That's not much land at all!
- But if we do include Antarctica, then the water hemisphere has about one-fifth (1/5) of the world's land. Even with Antarctica, it's clear that water covers most of this hemisphere.
Why is it Important?
Understanding the water hemisphere helps us see how Earth's land and water are spread out. It shows us just how much of our planet is covered by oceans, which are vital for life on Earth. The vast oceans in the water hemisphere play a huge role in our planet's climate and weather patterns.
