20th parallel north

20°

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20th parallel north

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.[1] 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.[2]

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
20°0′N 0°0′E	Mali
20°0′N 2°43′E	Algeria
20°0′N 6°27′E	Niger
20°0′N 15°47′E	Chad
20°0′N 23°3′E	Libya
20°0′N 24°0′E	Libya /  Sudan border
20°0′N 25°0′E	Sudan	The parallel defines the border between the Northern and North Darfur states
20°0′N 37°11′E	Indian Ocean	Red Sea
20°0′N 40°28′E	Saudi Arabia
20°0′N 55°0′E	Oman
20°0′N 57°48′E	Indian Ocean	Arabian Sea - Passing just south of Masirah Island,  Oman
20°0′N 72°43′E	India	Maharashtra Chhattisgarh Odisha Chhattisgarh Odisha
20°0′N 86°23′E	Indian Ocean	Bay of Bengal
20°0′N 92°57′E	Myanmar (Burma)
20°0′N 99°3′E	Thailand
20°0′N 100°32′E	Laos
20°0′N 104°58′E	Vietnam
20°0′N 106°11′E	Pacific Ocean	Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea
20°0′N 110°8′E	People's Republic of China	Island of Hainan — passing just south of Haikou
20°0′N 110°56′E	Pacific Ocean	South China Sea
20°0′N 122°0′E	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
20°0′N 155°50′W	United States	Big Island, Hawaii
20°0′N 155°15′W	Pacific Ocean
20°0′N 105°31′W	Mexico	Jalisco Michoacan Guanajuato Querétaro Mexico State Hidalgo Puebla Veracruz
20°0′N 96°33′W	Gulf of Mexico	Bay of Campeche
20°0′N 90°28′W	Mexico	Campeche Yucatán Quintana Roo
20°0′N 87°28′W	Caribbean Sea
20°0′N 77°38′W	Cuba
20°0′N 74°52′W	Caribbean Sea	Windward Passage
20°0′N 72°43′W	Haiti	Island of Tortuga
20°0′N 74°52′W	Atlantic Ocean	Passing just north of the island of Hispaniola,  Dominican Republic
20°0′N 16°14′W	Mauritania
20°0′N 5°59′W	Mali

See also

• 19th parallel north
• 21st parallel north

References

1. Brownlie, Ian (1979). African Boundaries: A Legal and Diplomatic Encyclopedia. Institute for International Affairs, Hurst and Co. pp. 133–40.
2. "Duration of Daylight/Darkness Table for One Year". U.S. Naval Observatory. 2019-09-24. Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2021-03-10.