Circle of latitude

Diagram of major circles of latitude on the Earth.

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.

The five major circles of latitude are, from north to south:

• The Arctic Circle (66° 33′ 38″ N)
• The Tropic of Cancer (23° 26′ 22″ N)
• The Equator (0° latitude)
• The Tropic of Capricorn (23° 26′ 22″ S)
• The Antarctic Circle (66° 33′ 38″ S)