Latitude

Latitude measures how far north or south a point is from the equator, expressed in degrees. The equator is 0 degrees, the North Pole is 90N, and the South Pole is 90S. Latitude strongly correlates with climate: closer to the equator means warmer, closer to the poles means colder.

Key parallels include the Tropic of Cancer (23.5N), Tropic of Capricorn (23.5S), Arctic Circle (66.5N), and Antarctic Circle (66.5S). Between the tropics is the tropical zone; inside the polar circles are the frigid zones.

In GeoHint, coordinate hints let you determine north-south position instantly. Countries below 30S are few (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Chile), making southern latitude a powerful filter.