Western world
An evolving cultural, political, and economic concept of diverse groups.
The Western world, also known as the West or Occident, primarily refers to various nations and states in Europe, Northern America, and Australasia, with debate about whether parts of the former Soviet Union and Latin America also constitute it. Ancient Greece and Rome are widely regarded as the birthplaces of Western civilization, and the concept evolved from a geographical direction to a socio-political idea tied to progress and modernity.
- etymology
- From Latin occidens 'setting down, sunset, west'
- contrasting_term
- Orient (from Latin oriens 'origin, sunrise, east')
- key_historical_division
- 4th century CE division of Roman Empire by Constantine
- associated_civilizations
- Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Latin Christendom
Lore & Background
The geographical concept of the West began to take shape in the 4th century CE when Constantine divided the Roman Empire between the Greek East and Latin West. The West Roman Empire lasted only about a century and a half, while the East Roman Empire continued for a millennium. The crusades made the schism definitive with hostility, and during these crusades the West discovered the Americas while trying to capture trade routes to the East.
Reader's Guide
The Western world is significant as an evolving concept that has shaped global history through cultural, political, and economic synergy. Its origins in ancient Greece and Rome provided foundational elements of philosophy, democracy, law, and governance. The division of the Roman Empire and the subsequent East–West Schism established lasting religious and political boundaries. European colonization spread Western influence globally, and the rise of the United States as a great power further defined the West. The concept has been temporalized and rendered as a notion of progress and modernity. From the late 1960s, parts of the Western world became notable for diversity due to immigration and changes in fertility rates. The definition remains context-dependent, with varying perspectives on which nations constitute the West.
Did You Know?
- Ancient Greece and Rome are widely regarded as the birthplaces of Western civilization.
- Countries like Australia and New Zealand, located in the Eastern Hemisphere, are included in modern definitions of the Western world.
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