No, Europe's east of it. The western world refers to the societies of Western and Central Europe and their close genealogical, linguistic, and philosophical colonial descendants - which includes the United States, which seems to be driving country behind the modernization and globalization of the world. It's not necessarily used because of the geographical locations of these countries, although during the Cold War, the East - which was pretty much the Soviet Union and the countries in the Warsaw Pact - was obviously to the east of Europe.

It doesn't have a strict international definition, Governments do not use the term in legislation of international treaties and instead rely on other definitions. If the term is used in academic articles it tends to be reserved for use in articles about those areas and times where the Western Roman Empire had a direct influence.

*blinks, and grins sheepishly*

Okay, I think I should go out of lecture mode now...