what countries are in the eastern hemisphere
The Eastern Hemisphere encompasses roughly 80 % of the world’s landmass, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the southern parts of the Pacific. When you ask what countries are in the eastern hemisphere, you are looking for every sovereign nation that lies on the landmass east of the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) and west of the 180° meridian. In practice, this includes all of Europe, the entirety of Africa, most of Asia, and the whole of Oceania, while the Americas reside entirely in the Western Hemisphere. Understanding the geographic scope helps clarify why the list is so extensive and why the eastern hemisphere is often described as the “Old World But it adds up..
Understanding the Eastern Hemisphere
The Earth is conceptually split by the Prime Meridian into the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. Which means the Eastern Hemisphere spans from 0° to 180° east longitude, covering continents that together host the majority of the world’s population, historical civilizations, and economic activity. Because the Prime Meridian runs through western Europe and western Africa, many European and African nations naturally fall within the eastern half, while the Americas—North, Central, and South—are excluded That's the part that actually makes a difference. Which is the point..
The eastern hemisphere also includes the continent of Antarctica, though no independent countries exist there; research stations are operated by various nations but do not constitute sovereign states. The sheer number of countries—over 150—means the list is best organized by continent for readability.
Europe
Europe is the core of the eastern hemisphere’s cultural and political heritage. It contains 44 internationally recognized sovereign states, many of which are members of the European Union, the Council of Europe, or other regional bodies. Below is a comprehensive list organized alphabetically:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia (transcontinental, partly in Asia)
- Austria
- Azerbaijan (transcontinental, partly in Asia)
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus (transcontinental, partly in Asia)
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia (transcontinental, partly in Asia)
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kazakhstan (predominantly in Asia, small western part in Europe)
- Kosovo (partially recognized)
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia (predominantly in Asia, European portion included)
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey (transcontinental, largely in Asia)
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Vatican City
Key point: Europe’s inclusion in the eastern hemisphere is not absolute; some nations are transcontinental, meaning only a portion of their territory lies east of the Prime Meridian. That said, they are counted among the eastern hemisphere countries because the majority of their landmass or capital cities are located there.
Africa
Africa stretches from the Atlantic coast on the west to the Indian Ocean on the east, placing every independent nation on the continent squarely within the eastern hemisphere. There are 54 recognized sovereign states on the continent. The alphabetical list is as follows:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- Congo, Republic of the
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Turkey (transcontinental, small part in Africa)
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Important note: The African continent is entirely within the eastern hemisphere, so every country listed above satisfies the query what countries are in the eastern hemisphere The details matter here..
Asia
Asia is the largest continent and dominates the eastern hemisphere, hosting more than half of the world’s population. It includes 48 sovereign states, many of which are transcontinental, meaning parts of their territory lie in Europe or Oceania. The alphabetical list below captures all recognized countries:
- Afghanistan
- Armenia (transcontinental)
- Azerbaijan (transcontinental)
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Cyprus (transcontinental)
- Georgia (transcontinental)
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan (predominantly in Asia)
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine (partially recognized)
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Taiwan (politically contested)
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkey (transcontinental)
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Key observation: Asia’s sheer size means the eastern hemisphere contains the greatest number of countries, and several are only partially located east of the Prime Meridian. Nonetheless, they are included because their political and administrative centers lie within the eastern hemisphere.
Australia and Oceania
Oceania, often defined as the region comprising Australia, New Zealand, and the myriad Pacific islands, is entirely situated within the eastern hemisphere. The region includes 14 sovereign states and several territories with varying statuses. The list of independent nations is:
- Australia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands (associated with the U.S.)
- Micronesia (Federated States of)
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tokelau (territory)
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
Note: While some island nations are technically part of Micronesia or Polynesia, they are all sovereign states that fall within the eastern hemisphere’s geographic boundaries.
Antarctica
Antarctica is not divided into sovereign countries; instead, it is governed by an international agreement that allows scientific research by signatory nations. No independent nation-state exists on the continent, so it does not contribute to the count of countries in the eastern hemisphere.
People argue about this. Here's where I land on it.
Summary
When you ask what countries are in the eastern hemisphere, the answer spans three major continents—Europe, Africa, and Asia—plus the Oceanic region of Australia and the Pacific islands. Here's the thing — in total, there are 197 recognized sovereign states that lie wholly or partially within the eastern hemisphere’s geographic limits. The list is diverse, ranging from large, influential nations like China, India, Russia, and Brazil (the latter is actually in the Western Hemisphere, so excluded) to tiny island states such as Malta, Nauru, and Tokelau Worth knowing..
Understanding the composition of the eastern hemisphere helps contextualize global demographics, economic trends, and cultural exchanges. Because the eastern hemisphere houses the majority of the world’s population and land area, the countries within it drive much of the planet’s political and economic narrative.
Real talk — this step gets skipped all the time And that's really what it comes down to..
Final takeaway: The eastern hemisphere is a mosaic of nations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, each contributing uniquely to the global community.
