We all use the references of directions many times in our lives. North and South are two opposite directions. But what exactly are they? Our Earth is in a sphere and is divided into four equal lines by the imaginary lines known as Latitudes and Longitudes.
In this article, we are specifically going to talk about the North and South. The Equator, which is a latitude, cuts the Earth horizontally into two equal halves known as the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
The upper part is the Northern Hemisphere, and the lower part is the Northern Hemisphere, which is also referred to as simply North and South.
Comparison Between North And South
| Parameter | North | South |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | North is a direction. It is also referred to as the Northern Hemisphere. | South is also a direction. It is also referred to as the Southern Hemisphere |
| Equator | North lies above the equator. | South lies below the equator. |
| Summers | North sees summers from the months of May to September. | South sees summers from the months of December to March. |
| Winters | North sees winters from the months December to March. | South sees winters from the months May to September. |
| Components | North has the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer. | South has the Antarctic Circle and the Tropic of Capricorn. |
| Countries | Some of the countries North has are Austria, China, Japan, India, Germany, Mexico, USA, UK, Canada, the Caribbean, Spain, etc. | Some of the countries South has are Africa, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, etc. |
Major Differences Between North And South
In order to understand the differences between the North and the South, it is important to understand what an equator and Prime Meridian are first.
What Exactly Is the Equator?
Earth is in the shape of a sphere; we have created imaginary lines on the Earth to understand it better.
Latitudes divide the Earth horizontally, and Longitudes divide the Earth vertically. The Equator is a Latitude that divides the Earth equally. It lies at zero degrees, and the top of the Northern and Southern hemispheres lies at 90 degrees.
What Exactly Is Prime Meridian?
Just like the Equator is a latitude, Prime Meridian is a longitude that divides the Earth into two halves vertically. The left half is known as Eastern Hemisphere, and the right half is known as Western Hemisphere.
What exactly is North?
North is a direction like South, East, and West. The Northern Hemisphere is referred to as the North. The Equator lies at 0 degrees and cuts the Earth in two halves. The Northern Hemisphere lies above the Equator.
What exactly is South?
South is a direction just like North, East, and West. South typically refers to the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern hemisphere is the hemisphere that lies below the Equator.
Contrast Between the North and The South
Definition
- North – North simply means one direction. Northern Hemisphere, i.e., the North direction of the Earth, is also known as “North.”
- South – South is also a direction just like the North. The Southern Hemisphere, i.e., the South direction of the Earth, is also known as the “South.”
The Equator
- North – Northern Hemisphere lies above the Equator.
- South – Southern Hemisphere lies below the Equator.
Important components
- North – Northern Hemisphere has the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of the Cancer.
- South – Southern Hemisphere has the Antarctic Circle and the Tropic of the Capricorn.
Temperature
- North – Northern Hemisphere is warmer than the Southern Hemisphere.
- South – Southern Hemisphere is cooler than the Northern Hemisphere.
Land
- North – Northern Hemisphere has 60.7 percent of the land.
- South – Southern Hemisphere has 19.1 percent of the land.
Water
- North – Northern Hemisphere has 39.3 percent of Water.
- South – Southern Hemisphere has 80.9 percent of Water.
Distance From The Equator
- North – Northern Hemisphere starts from 1 degree to 90 degrees.
- South – Southern Hemisphere starts from 1 degree to 90 degrees.
Important components
- North – Northern Hemisphere has the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of the Cancer.
- South – Southern Hemisphere has the Antarctic Circle and the Tropic of the Capricorn.
Summers/Winters
- North – North sees summers from May to September and winters from December to March.
- South – South sees summers from December to March and winters from May to September.
Countries
- North – Some of the countries in the Northern Hemisphere are China, Russia, Japan, India, the United States of America, Austria, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Rome, etc.
- South – Some of the countries in the Southern Hemisphere are Australia, South America, New Zealand, Africa, Antarctica, etc
Population
- North – Northern Hemisphere has most of the world’s population.
- South – Southern Hemisphere has very few populations.
Conclusion
North and South are the two opposite directions and denote the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres. Northern Hemisphere lies above the Equator and has most of the world’s population. Northern Hemisphere has the Arctic Circle and Tropic of Cancer.
This hemisphere is relatively warmer and sees summers from May to September and winters from December to March. On the other hand, the South or Southern Hemisphere lies below the Equator and has the lowest population.
The Southern Hemisphere has the Antarctic Circle and the Tropic of Capricorn. This hemisphere is relatively cooler and sees summers from December to March and winters from May to September.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. How much of the Northern Hemisphere is covered in Land and Water?
60.7 percent of the Northern Hemisphere is covered in land, and the other 39.3 percent is covered in Water.
Q2. Why does Northern Hemisphere have more population?
Land in the Northern Hemisphere is 60.7 percent, whereas the land in the Southern Hemisphere is only 19.1 percent. So the reason is simple as to why the North has more population.
Not only does the north has more land, but also the North is relatively warmer than the southern hemisphere.
So availability of more land and the presence of a warmer atmosphere becomes the reason behind why there is more population situated in the North.
Q3. How much of the Southern Hemisphere is covered in land and Water?
19.1 percent of the Southern Hemisphere is covered in land, and the other 80.9 percent is covered in Water.
Q4. What are some of the countries situated in the Northern Hemisphere?
Some of the countries situated in the Northern Hemisphere are Austria, India, Germany, France, Rome, China, Spain, Russia, etc.
Q5. What are some of the countries situated in the Southern Hemisphere?
Some of the countries situated in the Southern Hemisphere are Africa, Australia, South America, New Zealand, etc.
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