Circles of latitude between the 15th parallel north and the 20th parallel north

Following are circles of latitude between the 15th parallel north and the 20th parallel north:

16th parallel north

Line across the Earth

16°

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16th parallel north (<maplink zoom="1" text="interactive map" class="no-icon">{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke": "#f00" }, "geometry": { "coordinates": [ [ -1800, 16 ], [ 1800, 16 ] ], "type": "LineString" } }</maplink>)

The 16th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 16 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 13 hours, 5 minutes during the summer solstice and 11 hours, 11 minutes during the winter solstice.

As a dividing line

After World War II, the parallel divided Vietnam into Chinese military administration in the north and the British in the south (See Timeline of World War II (1945) and War in Vietnam (1945-1946)).

In the Chadian–Libyan conflict, from 1984 the parallel, known as the "Red Line", delineated areas controlled by opposing combatants. Previously the Red Line had been the 15th parallel north. (See also Operation Manta.)

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 16° north passes through:

Coordinates	Country, territory or sea	Notes
	Mali
	Niger
	Chad
	Sudan
	Eritrea
	Red Sea
	Eritrea	Island of Nahaleg
	Red Sea
	Yemen
	Indian Ocean	Arabian Sea
	India	Maharashtra Karnataka Andhra Pradesh Telangana
	Indian Ocean	Bay of Bengal
	Myanmar (Burma)	Irrawaddy River delta
	Indian Ocean	Gulf of Martaban, Andaman Sea
	Myanmar (Burma)	Thanbyuzayat Township
	Thailand
	Laos
	Vietnam	Passing just south of Da Nang
	South China Sea	Passing through the disputed Paracel Islands
	Philippines	Island of Luzon
	Pacific Ocean	Philippine Sea Passing just south of the island of Farallon de Medinilla, Northern Mariana Islands into an unnamed part of the Ocean
	Mexico
	Pacific Ocean	Gulf of Tehuantepec
	Mexico
	Guatemala
	Belize
	Caribbean Sea	Passing just north of Punta de Manabique, Guatemala Passing just south of the island of Útila, Honduras
	Honduras
	Caribbean Sea	Passing just north of Cape Camarón, Honduras
	France	Island of Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe
	Atlantic Ocean
	France	Island of Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe
	Atlantic Ocean
	Cape Verde	Island of Boa Vista
	Atlantic Ocean
	Senegal
	Mauritania
	Mali

17th parallel north

For the 1968 French documentary film, see 17th Parallel: Vietnam in War.

Line across the Earth

17°

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17th parallel north (<maplink zoom="1" text="interactive map" class="no-icon">{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke": "#f00" }, "geometry": { "coordinates": [ [ -1800, 17 ], [ 1800, 17 ] ], "type": "LineString" } }</maplink>)

The 17th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 17 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The parallel is particularly significant in the history of Vietnam.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 13 hours, 9 minutes during the summer solstice and 11 hours, 7 minutes during the winter solstice.

Vietnam

Main articles: Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone and Partition of Vietnam

The Seventeenth parallel (Vietnamese: vĩ tuyến 17) was the provisional military demarcation line between North and South Vietnam established by the Geneva Accords of 1954. The demarcation line did not exactly coincide with the 17th parallel but ran south of it, approximately along the Bến Hải River in Quảng Trị Province to the village of Bo Ho Su and from there due west to the Laos–Vietnam border.

In 1976 the demarcation line was made irrelevant as Vietnam was unified following the withdrawal of American forces and the surrender of the South Vietnamese government.

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 17° north passes through:

Coordinates	Country, territory or ocean	Notes
	Mali
	Niger
	Chad
	Sudan
	Eritrea
	Indian Ocean	Red Sea
	Saudi Arabia	Farasan Islands
	Indian Ocean	Red Sea
	Saudi Arabia
	Yemen
	Saudi Arabia
	Yemen
	Oman
	Indian Ocean	Arabian Sea
	Oman
	Indian Ocean	Arabian Sea
	India	Maharashtra Karnataka Andhra Pradesh Telangana
	Indian Ocean	Bay of Bengal
	Myanmar (Burma)	Shwethaungyan Subtownship, Pathein District Hlawga National Park, Mingaladon Township, Yangon
	Indian Ocean	Gulf of Martaban
	Myanmar (Burma)
	Thailand
	Laos
	Vietnam
	Pacific Ocean	South China Sea, passing through the disputed Paracel Islands
	Philippines	Island of Luzon
	Pacific Ocean	Philippine Sea Passing between the islands of Guguan and Sarigan, Northern Mariana Islands into an unnamed part of the Ocean
	Mexico
	Guatemala
	Belize
	Atlantic Ocean	Caribbean Sea, passing just south of the island of Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis Passing just north of the island of Redonda, Antigua and Barbuda
	Antigua and Barbuda	Island of Antigua
	Atlantic Ocean
	Cape Verde	Santo Antão island
	Atlantic Ocean
	Mauritania
	Mali

18th parallel north

Line across the Earth

18°

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18th parallel north (<maplink zoom="1" text="interactive map" class="no-icon">{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke": "#f00" }, "geometry": { "coordinates": [ [ -1800, 18 ], [ 1800, 18 ] ], "type": "LineString" } }</maplink>)

The 18th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 18 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 13 hours, 13 minutes during the summer solstice and 11 hours, 3 minutes during the winter solstice.

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 18° north passes through:

Coordinates	Country, territory or sea	Notes
	Mali
	Niger
	Chad
	Sudan
	Eritrea	For about 1 km
	Indian Ocean	Red Sea
	Saudi Arabia
	Yemen
	Oman
	Indian Ocean	Arabian Sea
	India	Maharashtra Karnataka Andhra Pradesh Chhattisgarh Orissa Telangana
	Indian Ocean	Bay of Bengal
	Myanmar (Burma)	Kyeintali
	Thailand
	Laos
	Thailand
	Laos	Passing just north of Vientiane
	Thailand
	Laos
	Vietnam
	Pacific Ocean	Passing just south of the island of Hainan, People's Republic of China, South China Sea
	Philippines	Island of Luzon
	Pacific Ocean	Philippine Sea Passing just south of Pagan Island, Northern Mariana Islands into an unnamed part of the Ocean
	Mexico
	Belize
	Atlantic Ocean	Chetumal Bay
	Belize	Ambergris Caye
	Atlantic Ocean	Caribbean Sea
	Jamaica	Passing through Kingston
	Atlantic Ocean	Passing just south of the Tiburon Peninsula, Haiti, Caribbean Sea
	Dominican Republic
	Atlantic Ocean	Caribbean Sea Passing just south of Saona Island, Dominican Republic Passing just south of Isla Mona, Puerto Rico
	Puerto Rico
	Atlantic Ocean	Caribbean Sea Passing just south of Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico Passing between the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands Passing just south of Sint Maarten
	Atlantic Ocean	Passing just north of Saint Barthélemy
	Mauritania	Passing just south of Nouakchott
	Mali

19th parallel north

Line across the Earth

19°

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19th parallel north (<maplink zoom="1" text="interactive map" class="no-icon">{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke": "#f00" }, "geometry": { "coordinates": [ [ -1800, 19 ], [ 1800, 19 ] ], "type": "LineString" } }</maplink>)

The 19th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 19 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 13 hours, 17 minutes during the summer solstice and 10 hours, 59 minutes during the winter solstice.

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 19° north passes through:

Coordinates	Country, territory or sea	Notes
	Mali
	Algeria
	Mali
	Niger
	Chad
	Sudan
	Indian Ocean	Red Sea
	Saudi Arabia	The parallel touches on the northernmost point of Yemen at the border with Oman
	Oman
	Indian Ocean	Arabian Sea
	India	Maharashtra - passing through Mumbai Telangana Andhra PradeshChhattisgarh Orissa
	Indian Ocean	Bay of Bengal
	Myanmar (Burma)	Ramree Island Taungoo Township
	Thailand
	Laos
	Vietnam	For about 5 km
	Laos	For about 2 km
	Vietnam
	Pacific Ocean	Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea
	People's Republic of China	Island of Hainan
	Pacific Ocean	Passing between Dalupiri Island and Fuga Island, Philippines, South China Sea
	Philippines	Camiguin Island
	Pacific Ocean	Philippine Sea Passing just north of Agrihan island, Northern Mariana Islands into an unnamed part of the Ocean Passing just south of Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands
	United States	Hawaii island, Hawaii
	Pacific Ocean
	Mexico	Roca Partida, Revillagigedo Islands
	Pacific Ocean	Passing just north of Socorro Island, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico
	Mexico
	Atlantic Ocean	Bay of Campeche, Gulf of Mexico
	Mexico	Yucatán Peninsula
	Atlantic Ocean	Caribbean Sea Passing just north of Gonâve Island, Haiti
	Haiti
	Dominican Republic
	Atlantic Ocean	Passing just north of Anegada island, British Virgin Islands
	Mauritania
	Mali

20th parallel north

Line across the Earth

20°

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20th parallel north (<maplink zoom="1" text="interactive map" class="no-icon">{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke": "#f00" }, "geometry": { "coordinates": [ [ -1800, 20 ], [ 1800, 20 ] ], "type": "LineString" } }</maplink>)

File:20th parallel Africa.svg

In Africa, the parallel defines part of the border between Libya and Sudan.

The 20th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 20 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The parallel defines part of the border between Libya and Sudan. Within Sudan it defines the border between the Northern and North Darfur states.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 13 hours, 21 minutes during the summer solstice and 10 hours, 55 minutes during the winter solstice.

On 21 June, the maximum altitude of the sun is 93.44 degrees and 46.56 degrees on 21 December. In this case an angle larger than 90° means that the culmination takes place at a maximum altitude of 86.56 degrees in the opposite cardinal direction. In the northern torrid zone, the Sun remains in the south during winter, but can reach over the zenith to the north in midsummer.

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 20° north passes through:

Coordinates	Country, territory or sea	Notes
	Mali
	Algeria
	Niger
	Chad
	Libya
	Libya / Sudan border
	Sudan	The parallel defines the border between the Northern and North Darfur states
	Indian Ocean	Red Sea
	Saudi Arabia
	Oman
	Indian Ocean	Arabian Sea - Passing just south of Masirah Island, Oman
	India	Maharashtra Chhattisgarh Odisha Chhattisgarh Odisha
	Indian Ocean	Bay of Bengal
	Myanmar (Burma)	Taungdwingyi, Magway Region
	Thailand
	Laos
	Vietnam
	Pacific Ocean	Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea
	People's Republic of China	Island of Hainan — passing just south of Haikou
	Pacific Ocean	South China Sea
	Pacific Ocean	Philippine Sea - Passing between the Batanes and Babuyan islands at the Balintang Channel, Philippines - Passing just south of the Maug Islands, Northern Mariana Islands into an unnamed part of the Ocean
	United States	Big Island, Hawaii
	Pacific Ocean
	Mexico	Jalisco Michoacan Guanajuato Querétaro Mexico State Hidalgo Puebla Veracruz
	Gulf of Mexico	Bay of Campeche
	Mexico	Campeche Yucatán Quintana Roo
	Caribbean Sea
	Cuba
	Caribbean Sea	Windward Passage
	Haiti	Island of Tortuga
	Atlantic Ocean	Passing just north of the island of Hispaniola, Dominican Republic
	Mauritania
	Mali

See also

• Circles of latitude between the 10th parallel north and the 15th parallel north
• Circles of latitude between the 20th parallel north and the 25th parallel north
• 17th Parallel: Vietnam in War, 1968 documentary film
• 38th parallel north, similar line once dividing North and South Korea