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Country Population - East or West?

Do more people live in the Eastern or Western halves of each of these countries?
If the country was divided into halves of equal area by longitude
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Last updated: August 10, 2023
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First submittedAugust 10, 2023
Times taken52,762
Average score86.7%
Rating4.96
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1. China
East
West
2. United States
East
West
3. Germany
East
West
4. Brazil
East
West
5. Ireland
East
West
6. Senegal
East
West
7. Australia
East
West
8. Peru
East
West
9. Portugal
East
West
10. Syria
East
West
11. Turkey
East
West
12. Pakistan
East
West
13. Argentina
East
West
14. Denmark
East
West
15. Russia
East
West
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56 Comments
bminus95
+121
Level 83
Aug 11, 2023
Helps knowing that very generally speaking, more people live near the sea.
Constantinos
+6
Level 75
Aug 12, 2023
And what is the Pacific in the West of US? Acid pond?
CyborgBee
+199
Level 86
Aug 12, 2023
You responded to someone who is correct with needless snark and a strange fixation on only one of the answers: many of the countries on the list do not allow you to use that trick, but a number of the more difficult ones allow you to, which is what makes it helpful.

In the case of the US, Australia, Russia, and Ireland there is coastline on both the east and west, Germany and Pakistan* only have coastlines in the north and south respectively, and Denmark is almost totally covered by coastline, but that still leaves China, Senegal, Portugal, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Syria, and Turkey. That's more than half the questions, and if you guess the side where the coastline is you score 8/8.

*the southern coast of Pakistan is either all or almost all in the western part of the country, so guessing based on that will give you the wrong answer.

AlexW2210
+66
Level 65
Sep 21, 2023
I've never enjoyed reading a comment more than I enjoyed reading this absolute slam by Cyborg
Nickelz
+12
Level 69
Sep 21, 2023
Overpriced acid pond
thxokbye
+4
Level 44
Sep 24, 2023
😐
Carry
+13
Level 63
Oct 19, 2023
Not sure if you've heard about it. There's this thing called the Atlantic Ocean. The East Coast is a coast too.
WilderA
+18
Level 56
Oct 8, 2024
guys I think he got the question wrong
bbbbbffeeefs
+1
Level 38
May 6, 2025
no way actually?
Kaadilac
+4
Level 46
May 10, 2025
As a california native, yes
fakeplastictrees
+10
Level 51
Sep 21, 2023
Canada is an exception to this rule. With the exception of Vancouver and Halifax the rest of the top 20 largest Metro areas in the country aren't on or near the ocean.
plattitude
+5
Level 94
Sep 21, 2023
I'd add Quebec City to that list of exceptions, sitting at the point of the St. Lawrence channel.
UnitedStatesQuizzes
+2
Level 70
Aug 11, 2023
What is the source for this?
PjotrL
+28
Level 78
Aug 14, 2023
That is a cruel question, as common sense is prevailing. Looking at the population centers and density when drawing a line halfway though the country would give you these particular answers. If you ask: "did anyone do the exact math?" and calculate versus the halfway line, the answer is most likely "no". Wouldn't be necessary either, to still be able to validate these answers (hence no one mentions the share to avoid ambiguity)
Dollyfroggy
+16
Level 63
Sep 21, 2023
It's a fair question if UnitedStatesQuizzes was asking out of curiosity rather than doubt. If there was a source with this data, it could be useful to have to make quizzes.
GeographyNerd10
+12
Level 28
Aug 12, 2023
I got 15/15. Easy because more people live against the coastline. Denmark was tricky but Copenhagen is on the eastside so easy guess.
DoktorApplejuce
+1
Level 76
Oct 4, 2023
I stupidly picked east for Syria, because I knew its three major cities are inland, not on the coast. But I guess they weren't nearly as far inland as I pictured, which hindsight and common sense says, "Duh, that's just desert."
Xenorstar
+2
Level 57
Mar 19, 2025
When taking Denmark I thought about Greenland
Constantinos
+2
Level 75
Aug 12, 2023
We need one about center and periphery. I already know two.
Dollyfroggy
+6
Level 63
Sep 21, 2023
It would be a bit difficult to define the boundaries.
Junzhi
+2
Level 55
Aug 16, 2023
I missed syria
LuckyCat
+3
Level 72
Aug 18, 2023
Great quiz!
SpartanLlama
+2
Level 79
Sep 21, 2023
100% let's go
HyddenRizz
+3
Level 67
Sep 21, 2023
Bit surprised by the USA considering California and Texas. How does the split work with Alaska and Hawaii?

Also my brain defaulted into splitting Turkey into East and West of the Bosphorous which is obviously not in the centre!

Wistful
+7
Level 72
Sep 21, 2023
The east coast has a lot of people. Honestly I didn't even think of Alaska and Hawaii, they might have pushed the line further west. Even if they weren't included, east likely would've won anyway. Out of the top 10 most populous states, 8 are in the eastern half.
HydratedMite
+7
Level 68
Sep 21, 2023
New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are all in the east; Texas is in the middle, but most of Texas's population is in the east of the state, so it might be considered on the east side.
colins04
+4
Level 59
Sep 21, 2023
It makes more sense if you think in terms of population density rather than just which side has the biggest states. For example New Jersey has about 1/3 of the population of Texas in 1/35 of the size.

Also depending on where the line was drawn, it's possible that the eastern part of Texas, where most of the state's big cities are, ended up on the eastern side of the line. But even without that the East Coast and Midwest easily have more population than the West.

chrcolstrup
+3
Level 70
Sep 21, 2023
Got all but Denmark (where I live...). In my defense I had missed the whole "by area" thing, so I started taking the Island of Bornholm into account :))
AlexThirkell
+8
Level 74
Sep 21, 2023
I wonder how Chile would come out in a quiz like this. You'd probably have to add another option "NO".
FreeStater
+3
Level 81
Sep 21, 2023
I'm going to say east, but only very slightly.
HydratedMite
+3
Level 68
Sep 21, 2023
The largely uninhabitable far north and the far south of the country do stick out a bit to the east though...

But Santiago is a bit to the east though...

Basaball
+1
Level 52
Nov 17, 2025
Valparaiso
Dollyfroggy
+3
Level 63
Sep 21, 2023
Easily east. The dividing line would separate Easter Island to one side and the rest of Chile to the other.
Carry
+3
Level 63
Oct 19, 2023
The divide is into equal halves of equal area not the central geographic point.
bn9043
+3
Level 63
Sep 21, 2023
I didnt think about coastline at all, just major cities. Copenhagen is in the east. Lima is in the west. Dakar is in the west. Sydney and Melbourne are in the east.

Is there a North/South being made?

KabouterPlop
+2
Level 71
Sep 21, 2023
Already done

https://www.jetpunk.com/quizzes/country-population-north-or-south

Ptcairn
+1
Level 68
May 5, 2025
Hyperlinked
Sputnix
+1
Level 69
Sep 21, 2023
It would be interesting to know where the dividing line for Denmark was drawn, since the traditional division between West and East Denmark (Storebælt) leaves more people in the western half.
WaffleCandy2031
+1
Level 50
Sep 22, 2023
Got 100% first try! I was only stuck on some such as Argentina and Denmark, but Argentina has mountains to the west and people like living near the ocean (as shown in like half of the countries), and Denmark I factored in low population Denmark XD.
madebyHIM
+1
Level 26
Sep 28, 2023
Got every single one right my first try.

I think this might be my first time ever acing one of these quizzes on my very first try. Hurrah!

It sure does help to be familiar with where every countries capital is. That helps a lot too.

rabble
+1
Level 68
Oct 3, 2023
The average seems higher than I'd expect.

Some countries seem more challenging to guess, without looking at a map. Even if you know general shape & geography.

I could see Ireland, Syria, Pakistan, Denmark, maybe Turkey, and Argentina, being somewhat questionable - especially if you don't know their major cities, or general population distribution (I have no idea about urban vs rural distribution in something like Pakistan/Turkey, or number of major cities)

Liam315
+2
Level 72
Oct 6, 2023
Had to take the quiz 3 times because I kept confusing east and west and clicking the one I didn't mean.
verysmartdude
+2
Level 35
Mar 22, 2024
Only missed Portugal because I wondered if the Azores and Madeira would skew the stats
ilovedenmark
+2
Level 46
Mar 25, 2024
I somehow got a 15/15 first try. Good quiz
Sifhraven
+1
Level 76
May 26, 2024
wow I got all right! that doesn't happen often, I usually get atleast one wrong. Syria was a total guess for me. Not too sure on pakistan and somehow had doubts on peru, but the ones I chose seemed to make the most sense. All the others I was certain on. Wait turkey perhaps not 100%

Interesting to so how Denmark is so far behind

Davesorphanage
+1
Level 30
Feb 16, 2025
i got 12/15, but I was just guessing
muradgoat
+1
Level 44
Mar 31, 2025
15/15! Easiest 5 points (: loved quiz
Pontiac
+1
Level 61
May 10, 2025
14/15
Pontiac
+1
Level 61
May 10, 2025
14/15
ColinShadow
+1
Level 55
May 10, 2025
14/15 (Frankfurt I hate you lol)
DesolationRow
+1
Level 52
May 11, 2025
14/15 damn, missed Denmark. Had no idea so I just guessed for that one.
kirbykart
+1
Level 58
May 12, 2025
14/15 I missed Pakistan, I didn't realize Karachi was such an outlier in terms of location.
Chad
+1
Level 65
May 13, 2025
If you account for Bornholm the geographic centre of Denmark shifts significantly easterly. I recognize that half of Zealand including Copenhagen is on the eastern half of the line but I doubt that the population in those areas is greater then the entire mainland and most of the Danish Straits islands.
Colee
+1
Level 19
May 14, 2025
shocked I got 15/15 1st attempt
Nacho24
+2
Level 64
Dec 7, 2025
Got all wrong because my brain decides that East was West and West was East. Luckily that means that I still got all them right, right?
eurotec
+1
Level 56
Feb 5, 2026
Aw man, 14/15. Missed Turkey, my own, home country! Can't believe that lol
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