The Equator
What is the equator?
The Equator is an imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
What are Parallels of Latitude?
Imaginary lines that run around the Earth parallel to the Equator.
What are the two tropics called?
The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
What is the Arctic Circle?
A line of latitude at 66.5°N, near the North Pole.
Is it warmer near the Equator or near the poles?
Near the Equator
Is the Equator hot or cold?
Hot. The Sun shines directly on the Equator all year
Are parallels straight or curved?
Curved, they are circles around the Earth.
Which tropic is in the Northern Hemisphere?
The Tropic of Cancer.
What is the Antarctic Circle?
A line of latitude at 66.5°S, near the South Pole.
What kind of weather do places near the Tropics have?
Hot summers and mild winters.
Name one country the Equator passes through
Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Sao Tome & Principe, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia and Kiribati
Which parallel is closest to the North Pole?
The Arctic Circle (66.5°N).
What latitude is the Tropic of Capricorn?
23.5°S
What happens in the Arctic Circle in summer?
The Sun doesn’t set for 24 hours (Midnight Sun).
What is the climate like near the poles?
It’s very cold, with long winters and short summers.
How many degrees is the Equator in latitude?
0° (zero degrees)
What parallel is at 23.5°N?
The Tropic of Cancer.
What do the Tropics mark?
The places where the Sun is directly overhead at noon during the solstices
What happens in the Antarctic Circle in winter?
The Sun doesn’t rise for 24 hours (Polar Night).
Why is it colder near the poles?
The Sun’s rays hit the Earth at an angle, spreading the heat over a larger area.
What is the weather like near the Equator?
It’s warm all year and there are rainforests
Why are the parallels important?
They help us find the location of places on Earth.
Name a country on the Tropic of Cancer
Algeria, Niger, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, Mexico, Bahamas, Mauritania and Mali
What’s special about the poles (90°N and 90°S)?
They experience 6 months of daylight and 6 months of darkness each year.
Why is it warm at the Equator all year long?
The Sun shines directly on the Equator year-round.