Tropic of Capricorn
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- For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Capricorn (novel).
The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It lies 23° 26′ 22″ south of the Equator, and marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent.
The northern hemisphere equivalent of the Tropic of Capricorn is the Tropic of Cancer. Schoolchildren are sometimes taught to remember which tropic is which by the fact that corns grow on the feet (i.e. the lower part of the body, corresponding to the southern hemisphere). Latitudes south of the Tropic of Capricorn are in the Southern Temperate Zone. The region north of the Tropic of Capricorn and south of the Tropic of Cancer is known as the Tropics.
The Tropic of Capricorn is so named because about 2,000 years ago the sun was entering the constellation Capricornus (capricorn is Latin for goat horn) at the December solstice. In modern times the sun appears in the constellation Sagittarius during this time. The change is due to precession of the equinoxes. The word "tropic" itself comes from the Greek tropos, meaning turn, referring to the fact that the sun appears to "turn back" at the solstices.
The position of the Tropic of Capricorn is not fixed, but varies in a complex manner over time; see under circles of latitude for information.
[edit] Geography
The Tropic of Capricorn passes through the following countries, starting at the prime meridian and heading west:
- BrazilImage:Flag of Brazil.svg
- ParaguayImage:Flag of Paraguay.svg
- ArgentinaImage:Flag of Argentina.svg
- ChileImage:Flag of Chile.svg
- French PolynesiaImage:Flag of French Polynesia.svg - passing just south of Tubuai
- TongaImage:Flag of Tonga.svg - passing just north of the Minerva Reefs
- Coral Sea Islands TerritoryImage:Flag of Australia.svg - passing just south of Cato Reef
- AustraliaImage:Flag of Australia.svg
- MadagascarImage:Flag of Madagascar.svg
- MozambiqueImage:Flag of Mozambique.svg
- South AfricaImage:Flag of South Africa.svg
- BotswanaImage:Flag of Botswana.svg
- NamibiaImage:Flag of Namibia.svg
[edit] Cities located along the Tropic of Capricorn
- Alice Springs Image:Flag of Australia.svg
- Rockhampton Image:Flag of Australia.svg
- São Paulo Image:Flag of Brazil.svg
- Maringá Image:Flag of Brazil.svg
- Mogi das Cruzes Image:Flag of Brazil.svg
- Itaquaquecetuba Image:Flag of Brazil.svg
[edit] See also
- Arctic Circle
- Antarctic Circle
- Equator
- Tropic of Cancerca:Tròpic de Capricorn
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