Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the half of <a href="/facts/Earth/HLLmDfj0">Earth</a> that is <a href="/facts/North/Hty6w98C">north</a> of the <a href="/facts/Equator/CjaxbVaN">equator</a>. For other planets in the <a href="/facts/Solar_System/QIcLSazQ">Solar System</a>, north is defined by humans as being in the same <a href="/facts/Celestial_sphere/TYAtXgor">celestial hemisphere</a> relative to the <a href="/facts/Invariable_plane/SSoYrjeR">invariable plane</a> of the Solar System as Earth's <a href="/facts/North_Pole/gjfItQJH">North Pole</a>.
Due to Earth's <a href="/facts/Axial_tilt/kt7KwL3v">axial tilt</a> of 23.439281°, there is a seasonal variation in the lengths of the day and night. There is also a seasonal variation in temperatures, which lags the variation in day and night. Conventionally, <a href="/facts/Winter/kSp26z8R">winter</a> in the Northern Hemisphere is taken as the period from the <a href="/facts/December_solstice/GAKeNp83">December solstice</a> (typically December 21 <a href="/facts/UTC/2EnjfSyu">UTC</a>) to the <a href="/facts/March_equinox/27hlaADj">March equinox</a> (typically March 20 UTC), while <a href="/facts/Summer/v3DY22Uq">summer</a> is taken as the period from the <a href="/facts/June_solstice/WuLo4l0o">June solstice</a> through to the <a href="/facts/September_equinox/avAVQp1z">September equinox</a> (typically on 23 September UTC). The dates vary each year due to the difference between the <a href="/facts/Calendar_year/rTxJRSwA">calendar year</a> and the <a href="/facts/Year/51V242hh">astronomical year</a>. Within the Northern Hemisphere, oceanic currents can change the weather patterns that affect many factors within the north coast. Such events include <a href="/facts/El_Ni%C3%B1o%E2%80%93Southern_Oscillation/FVgabDRn">El Niño–Southern Oscillation</a>.
<a href="/facts/Trade_winds/GUU8Vor3">Trade winds</a> blow from east to west just above the equator. The winds pull surface water with them, creating currents, which flow westward due to the <a href="/facts/Coriolis_effect/SqCyUY6d">Coriolis effect</a>. The currents then bend to the right, heading north. At about 30 degrees north latitude, a different set of winds, the <a href="/facts/Westerlies/d0YEBstH">westerlies</a>, push the currents back to the east, producing a closed clockwise loop.
Its surface is 60.7% water, compared with 80.9% water in the case of the <a href="/facts/Southern_Hemisphere/QfJ4z9L5">Southern Hemisphere</a>, and it contains 67.3% of Earth's land. The continents of <a href="/facts/North_America/djNjCQIl">North America</a> and mainland <a href="/facts/Eurasia/KlLI9GDM">Eurasia</a> are located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, together with about two-thirds of <a href="/facts/Africa/XkqQUP9s">Africa</a> and a small part of <a href="/facts/South_America/PhrFEMk7">South America</a>.

Northern Hemisphere open-in-new

Northern Hemisphere