Hemispheres of the Earth online exercise for - Free Printable

Here's the completed worksheet with explanations for each answer:

---

HEMISPHERES OF THE EARTH

Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks.
*(Words: prime meridian, half, sphere, hemisphere, equator)*

1. Earth is the shape of a _sphere_.
→ The Earth is approximately spherical — round like a ball. This is why we use terms like “hemisphere” (half-sphere) to describe its divisions.

2. Half of a sphere is called a _hemisphere_.
→ “Hemi-” means “half” and “-sphere” means “ball” or “round object.” So, hemisphere literally means “half-sphere.”

3. Hemisphere means _half_ in Greek.
→ The prefix “hemi-” comes from Greek and means “half.” So this is a direct translation.

4. Earth is divided in half horizontally at 0° latitude, called the _equator_.
→ The equator is an imaginary line circling the Earth at 0° latitude, dividing it into Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

5. Earth is divided in half vertically at 180° longitude, called the _prime meridian_.
→ ❗ Correction: This statement is incorrect as written.
The Prime Meridian is at 0° longitude, not 180°. The line at 180° longitude is called the International Date Line.
However, since the word bank only includes “prime meridian” and not “International Date Line,” and the question says “at 180° longitude,” there’s a mismatch.
But based on standard geography education and the available word bank, this is likely a typo in the worksheet. It should say:
> “Earth is divided in half vertically at 0° longitude, called the _prime meridian_.”
OR if they meant the *other* vertical division:
> “Earth is divided in half vertically at 180° longitude, called the _International Date Line_.” — but that’s not in the word bank.

✔ Since you must choose from the given words, and “prime meridian” is the only option related to longitude division, we’ll assume the worksheet meant 0° longitude. So the correct answer using the word bank is:
→ prime meridian

*(Note to teacher/student: There’s an error in the worksheet — 180° longitude is NOT the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian is 0°.)*

---

Use the words in the box to label the hemispheres and division lines.
*(Words: Western, Equator, Southern, Eastern, Northern, Prime Meridian)*

Top diagram (horizontal division at 0° latitude):
This shows the Earth split into Northern and Southern Hemispheres by the Equator.

- Top blank (above 0° latitude): Northern
- Label pointing to 0° latitude line: Equator
- Bottom blank (below 0° latitude): Southern

Bottom diagram (vertical division at 180° longitude):
This shows the Earth split into Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Note: The actual dividing line between Eastern and Western Hemispheres is the Prime Meridian (0°) and the International Date Line (180°). The diagram labels the vertical line as “180° longitude,” which is the International Date Line — so the hemispheres are labeled accordingly.

- Right blank (east of 180°): Eastern
- Left blank (west of 180°): Western
- Label pointing to the vertical line: Prime Meridian ← ❗ Again, this is incorrect. The line at 180° is NOT the Prime Meridian. But since “Prime Meridian” is the only longitude-related term in the word bank, and the worksheet likely intended to show the division between East/West, we must use it here — even though geographically it’s wrong.

✔ For accuracy: The vertical line shown should be labeled International Date Line, but since it’s not in the word bank, and “Prime Meridian” is the closest term, we’ll use it — while noting the error.

---

✔ Final Answers:

Fill-in-the-blanks:
1. sphere
2. hemisphere
3. half
4. equator
5. prime meridian *(with note: worksheet has error — should be 0° longitude, not 180°)*

Labeling Diagrams:

Top diagram (horizontal):
- Top label: Northern
- Line label: Equator
- Bottom label: Southern

Bottom diagram (vertical):
- Right label: Eastern
- Left label: Western
- Vertical line label: Prime Meridian *(note: technically incorrect — should be International Date Line at 180°)*

---

📌 Important Note for Students/Teachers:
The worksheet contains two geographical inaccuracies:
- Question 5 incorrectly states that 180° longitude is the Prime Meridian (it’s actually 0°).
- The bottom diagram labels the 180° line as needing the term “Prime Meridian,” which is misleading.

In real geography:
- Prime Meridian = 0° longitude → divides Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
- International Date Line ≈ 180° longitude → opposite side of the globe.

If possible, correct these errors when reviewing the worksheet.

---

Let me know if you’d like a corrected version of the worksheet!