How Much Do You Know About Geography of the Northern Hemisphere?

By: Isadora Teich
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

While in theory north and south being portrayed as up and down are arbitrary distinctions - we could have easily drawn the world map the other way up - one big reason we picture them the way we do is that most of the land in the world is in the "top" or northern half. The Northern Hemisphere is everything from the equator to the North Pole and contains most of the world's population as well as the majority of its countries.

There are theories regarding plate tectonics as to how this became the case, but it might just be arbitrary since landmasses do move very slowly over time. As a result, the map we know and love has been much the same throughout human history, moving a couple of feet at most. That means the equator has relatively little land on it, as it passes through South America, Africa, and Indonesia, meaning that the overwhelming majority of its span lies on the ocean.

The Northern Hemisphere is thus home to most of the economy of the world, and most of its more dramatic topography, from high peaks to low valleys, from deserts to tundra to endless boreal forests. It also currently contains the Arctic ice cap, though trends indicate that probably won't be around for much longer. Let's see how much of the detail of this most happening hemisphere you know!

What is the largest US state?

Alaska is the most northwestern of all US states and shares a maritime border with Russia. It is the largest and most sparsely populated of all US states.

Which of these countries is touched by the Mediterranean Sea?

The Mediterranean Sea separates Southern Europe from Northern Europe. Italy sticks out into the Mediterranean Sea.

What is the northernmost point on Earth?

The North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean and is permanently covered with shifting sea ice. It sits at 90 degrees north and it is where all lines of longitude converge.

The Sahara desert can be found on which continent?

The Sahara desert takes up most of North Africa and is the largest hot desert on earth. It is roughly the size of the United States.

Which of these oceans border North America?

North America is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north. The Atlantic Ocean touches its east coast and the Pacific Ocean its west coast.

Does the Northern Hemisphere have more or less land than the Southern Hemisphere?

The surface of the Northern Hemisphere is roughly 60% water, while the Southern Hemisphere is roughly 81% water. Over 2/3 of the earth's land is in the Northern Hemisphere.

Which of these countries is at least partially in the Arctic?

The Arctic is located at the earth's northernmost pole. Known for year-round ice cover and a treeless tundra, this area is changing due to global warming.

In which region of the Northern Hemisphere does the sun never rise in winter?

The Arctic region in the Northern Hemisphere is north of the Arctic Circle. It characterized by long, dark winters, which are sunless for periods of time, ice caps, and periods of time during the summer where the sun never sets.

Which of these continents are not entirely in the Northern Hemisphere?

Australia is almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, with the exception of a few small islands. Most of the world's continents, countries and people are above the equator.

Which mountain range contains many of the earth's highest peaks?

The Himalayas contain many of the tallest mountains in the world, with over 50 mountains higher than 23,600 feet. The range spreads across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and China.

Which of these continents straddles both hemispheres?

Africa is in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. About 2/3 of the continent is in the north, however.

The American Cordillera is a/an ___________ in the Americas:

The American Cordillera is a nearly continuous sequence of mountain ranges that run from North America to Antarctica. They begin in Alaska with the Alaska Range and Brooks Range and can be traced throughout the Americas to their end on the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Which country has the world's most high mountain peaks?

There are roughly 100 countries on earth with mountains taller than 23,622 feet high. About half of them can be found in China.

Which of these countries is entirely in the Northern Hemisphere?

Sweden is a continental European country. All continental European countries are in the Northern Hemisphere.

Which of these is the highest mountain on earth?

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on earth, at 29,029 feet tall. It's located between Tibet and Nepal in a subrange of the Himalayas.

Which of these is the lowest area of dry land on earth?

The earth's lowest point on dry land is the shore of the Dead Sea, at over 1,300 feet below sea level. The shore of the dead sea is shared by Jordan, Palestine, and Israel.

Which of these is a part of North America?

While Greenland is geographically a part of North America, it is politically and culturally associated with Scandinavia. Greenland is the world's largest island and the least populated country on earth.

Can the world's highest glacier be found in the Northern Hemisphere?

The Khumbu Glacier, which can be found on the southwest slopes of Mount Everest, in Nepal, is the highest glacier on earth. It begins at an elevation of more than 24,000 feet.

The Mediterranean Sea is known for its:

Being nearly landlocked between Africa and Europe affects the Mediterranean Sea. It is a relatively calm sea known for its deep blue color.

Which of these cities straddles two continents?

Istanbul, Turkey straddles the Bosphorus Strait, which separates Europe from Asia. It is one of the world's most populous cities and the biggest European city.

How much of the world's population lives in the Northern Hemisphere?

The Northern Hemisphere is home to roughly 6.5 billion of earth's roughly 7 billion people. This about 90% of earth's population.

Is Russia a part of Europe?

Europe is divided into about 50 sovereign states, of which the Russian Federation is the largest by land and population. It takes up about 40% of the continent.

Which of these continents has the most coastline?

Europe has more coastline than any other continent in the world. Its coasts span along the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and the Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean seas.

Is North America the largest continent?

North America is the third largest continent by area. Asia is the largest, followed by Africa.

What connects North America and South America?

North America's only land connection to South America is the Isthmus of Panama. This strip of land lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Which hemisphere can the Pacific Ring of Fire be found in?

The Pacific Ring of Fire runs along all landmasses which touch the Pacific Ocean, including New Zealand, Maritime Southeast Asia and the Americas. 75% of the world's volcanoes and 90% of the world's earthquakes occur in this area.

Which of these mountain ranges is within the US?

The Appalachian Mountains run along the US East Coast from Pennsylvania to Georgia. The highest peak is the 6,684 foot-tall Mount Mitchell.

Where are most of the world's tallest mountains?

There are over 100 mountains on earth with elevations of 23,622 feet or higher. Most of these can be found throughout Northern India, Tibet and Central Asia.

The longest river in Africa is the:

The Nile River in Northern Africa is, according to some sources, the longest river on earth. At over 4,000 miles long, the Nile's basin covers 11 African countries.

Which of these lakes is in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere?

Lake Victoria straddles the equator in Africa and touches Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. It is the largest tropical lake on earth.

The Caspian Sea is a actually a:

This Eurasian lake is the largest enclosed body of water on planet Earth. Its shores touch Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan.

Where are the world's highest islands?

The world's highest islands are in Tibet. They sit in Orba Co lake at an elevation of over 17,000 feet.

Where is the Iberian Peninsula?

The Iberian Peninsula is in Southwestern Europe. It is shared by Portugal, Andorra, Spain and Gibraltar.

Which part of Asia goes into the Southern Hemisphere?

Maritime Southeast Asia straddles the equator and lays between Mainland Asia and Australia. It contains Malaysia, Brunei, the Phillippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Timor Leste.

Which of these climates can be found in the US?

There are diverse climates and geographical features across the United States. There are over two dozen different climate in the vast country.

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