![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Earth-lighting-winter-solstice_EN.png/640px-Earth-lighting-winter-solstice_EN.png&w=640&q=50)
Circle of latitude
all locations on the surface of the Earth that are equidistant from the Equator or either pole / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On the Earth, a circle of latitude is an imaginary east-west circle that connects all locations with a given latitude. A location's position along a circle of latitude is given by its longitude. Circles of latitude are often called parallels because they are parallel to each other. It is measured in absolute location.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Earth-lighting-winter-solstice_EN.png/640px-Earth-lighting-winter-solstice_EN.png)
The five major circles of latitude are, from north to south:
- The Arctic Circle (66.5°N)
- The Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N)
- The Equator (0°)
- The Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)
- The Antarctic Circle (66.5°S)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Geographylogo.svg/30px-Geographylogo.svg.png)