Craig White's Literature Courses Terms / Themes New World / Old World

The terms Old World and New World are a Eurocentric historical division corresponding roughly to the geographical division of earth to Eastern and Western Hemispheres. 

Western Hemisphere lies west of the prime meridian in Greenwich, England. (In other words, this division is somewhat arbitrary and depends on historical pre-eminence of England as a world leader in science, development, and imperialism.

Earth may also divide by Northern & Western Hemispheres

(generating "North-South Dialogue" of developed & developing nations)

Remember none of this makes sense on any cosmic scale. Northern Hemisphere isn’t “up,” etc.

The Old World (with capital letters) refers to Eurasia and Africa, the New World to the Americas and Australia.