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A circle of latitude is an imaginary east- west circle on the Earth, that connects all locations with a given latitude. It is perpendicular to all meridians. The position on the circle of latitude is given by the longitude.Circle of latitude are based on the rotation of the Earth. Four special ones are based on the relationship with the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
The five major circles of latitude are:
Apart from the equator the circles of latitude are not great circles, hence not the shortest distance between points, as opposed to what is suggested by maps that show them as straight lines. It is for this reason that an aeroplane travelling between a European and North American city on the same latitude will fly further north, over Greenland for example. Thus they are not really "lines" in the geometry of the sphere. See also great circle distanceGreat circle distance is the shortest distance between any two points on the surface of the Earth measured along a path on the surface of the Earth (as opposed to going through the Earth's interior). Because spherical geometry is rather different than ord.
A circle of latitude is often called a " parallelThe term Parallel has a number of important meanings: Parallel (geometry) occurs in geometry. If two lines or planes are parallel, then every point on one is located exactly the same minimum distance from the other line or plane. A parallel is a circle of", because circles of latitude are a fixed distance apart and on some map projections, including the Mercator projectionThe Mercator projection is a map projection devised by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. It is a conformal map, that is, it preserves angle. Any straight line on a Mercator map is a line of constant bearing, a loxodrome or rhumb line. This makes it particularly, they are parallel.
For a low latitude a circle of latitude can be said to be a line around the Earth, while at a high latitude it is a circle around a pole.
Circles of latitude are often used as boundaries between countries or regions. Notable parallels include:
- 49th parallel northThe 49th parallel of north latitude forms part of the International Boundary between Canada and the United States from Manitoba to British Columbia on the Canadian side and from Minnesota to Washington on the U. Its use as a border is a result of the Angl: part of the border between the United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in and CanadaCanada historically the Dominion of Canada is the second-largest, and northernmost, country in the world. It is a decentralized federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories, governed as a constitutional monarchy, and formed in 1867 through an act of Confe.
- 45th parallel northThe 45th parallel of north latitude is the east-west line that marks the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole In North America, it roughly marks the International Boundary between the United States and Canada between the St. Lawrence and C: the border between VermontVermont is the 14th state of the United States, known for its beautiful scenery, dairy products, maple syrup and progressive politics. History Vermont was originally home to the tribes of the Iroquois, Algonquian and Abenaki nations. In 1609, French explo and CanadaCanada historically the Dominion of Canada is the second-largest, and northernmost, country in the world. It is a decentralized federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories, governed as a constitutional monarchy, and formed in 1867 through an act of Confe.
- 42nd parallel north: the border between California and Oregon.
- 41st parallel north: parts of the borders of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Nebraska.
- 38th parallel north: boundary between the Soviet and American occupation zones in Korea in 1945.
Cartography
