Equator
From Freepedia
Image:WorldMapLongLat-special-lats-emph-Equator-non.png
The equator is an imaginary circle drawn around a planet (or other astronomical object) at a distance halfway between the poles. The equator divides the planet into a Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The latitude of the equator is, by definition, 0°. The length of Earth's equator is about 40,075.0 km, or 24,901.5 miles.
The equator is one of the five main circles of latitude based on the relationship of the Earth's rotation and plane of orbit around the sun. Additionally, the equator is the only line of latitude which is also a great circle
The Sun, in its seasonal movement through the sky, passes directly over the equator twice each year on the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes, which occur in March and September (respectively). At the equator, the rays of the sun are perpendicular to the surface of the earth on these dates.
Contents |
Equatorial climate
In many tropical regions people identify two seasons, wet and dry, but most places very close to the equator are wet throughout the year, although seasons can vary depending on a variety of factors including elevation and proximity to an ocean.
The surface of the Earth at the equator is mainly ocean.
Equatorial countries
The equator traverses the land and/or water of 13 countries in total:
- São Tomé and Príncipe - perhaps passing through Ilhéu das Rolas, an islet in this archipelago
- Gabon
- Republic of the Congo
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Uganda
- Kenya
- Somalia
- Maldives - may miss every island
- Indonesia
- Kiribati
- Gilbert Islands - may miss every island
- Phoenix Islands - near miss of Baker Island
- Line Islands - near miss of Jarvis Island
- Ecuador
- Galapagos Islands - passing through Isabela Island.
- Mainland Ecuador
- Colombia
- Brazil
Trivia
Places near the equator experience the quickest rates of sunrise and sunset in the world, taking minutes. Such places also have a relatively constant amount of day/night time on every day throughout the year compared with more northerly or southerly places.
