37th parallel north facts for kids
The 37th parallel north is an imaginary line that goes all the way around the Earth, 37 degrees north of the equator. Think of it like a giant invisible ring around the middle of our planet! This special line crosses many different places, including parts of Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.
If you were standing on the 37th parallel, you would notice that the sun stays out for a long time in summer – about 14 hours and 42 minutes during the summer solstice. In winter, it's the opposite, with the sun visible for only about 9 hours and 37 minutes during the winter solstice. This line is also special because it's roughly as far north as you can go and still see Canopus, which is the second brightest star in the night sky!
Journey Around the World on the 37th Parallel
Let's take a trip along the 37th parallel, starting from the Prime meridian and heading east. This line crosses many countries and seas!
- It begins in the Mediterranean Sea, then touches Algeria and Tunisia.
- It crosses the island of Sicily in Italy.
- Next, it goes over parts of Greece, including islands like Sifnos, Antiparos, Paros, Naxos, Levitha, and Kalymnos.
- Then, it enters Turkey, passing through cities like Adana and Nizip.
- It continues through Syria and Iraq.
- It briefly touches Turkey again, near the Şemdinli district.
- After that, it crosses Iran and the Caspian Sea.
- It then goes through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
- In Asia, it crosses parts of Pakistan (including Gilgit-Baltistan) and China (including Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, and Shandong).
- It then crosses the Yellow Sea and goes through South Korea.
- After crossing the Sea of Japan, it reaches Japan, passing over the island of Honshū.
- The parallel then travels across the huge Pacific Ocean.
- It makes landfall in North America, crossing the United States.
- Finally, it crosses the Atlantic Ocean, passing near Santa Maria Island in the Azores (which belong to Portugal).
- It touches mainland Portugal at Sagres Point and Cape Santa Maria.
- It crosses the Gulf of Cádiz and then Spain.
- From there, it goes back into the Mediterranean Sea, eventually returning to where we started at the Prime Meridian.
The 37th Parallel in the United States
In the United States, the 37th parallel is very important because it forms the southern borders of three states: Utah, Colorado, and Kansas. At the same time, it forms the northern borders of Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
This border was decided a long time ago, in 1854, with something called the Kansas–Nebraska Act. This act was a law passed by the US Congress. It divided a large area known as Indian Territory into two new territories: Kansas and Nebraska. Everything north of the 37th parallel became Kansas and Nebraska, and the land south of it remained Indian Territory.
