The Southern Hemisphere officially starts at the — 0° latitude.
The Southern Hemisphere starts at the equator (0° latitude) and extends south to the South Pole. The equator serves as the dividing line between the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
The geography of the Southern Hemisphere is strikingly different from its northern counterpart. It is often referred to as the "water hemisphere" because nearly 80 percent of its surface is covered by ocean. Only about 32 percent of the Earth's total landmass is located south of the Equator. This massive amount of water acts as a thermal regulator, often leading to milder seasonal temperature swings in coastal regions compared to the deep continental interiors of the north.
The Southern Hemisphere is home to a diverse range of climates, cultures, and landscapes, from the tropical beaches of Australia to the snow-capped mountains of the Andes.