38th parallel north

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38th parallel north

The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 38th parallel north formed the border between North and South Korea prior to the Korean War.

Contents

At this latitude, the Sun is visible for 14 hours, 48 minutes during the summer solstice and 9 hours, 32 minutes during the winter solstice. [1]

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian heading eastward, the 38th parallel north passes through:

38th parallel north
Co-ordinatesCountry, territory or seaNotes
38°0′N0°0′E / 38.000°N 0.000°E / 38.000; 0.000 (Prime Meridian) Mediterranean Sea Passing just north of the island of Marettimo, Flag of Italy.svg  Italy (at 37°59′43″N12°1′47″E / 37.99528°N 12.02972°E / 37.99528; 12.02972 (Marettimo) )
38°0′N12°19′E / 38.000°N 12.317°E / 38.000; 12.317 (Italy) Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Islands of Levanzo and Sicily
38°0′N15°25′E / 38.000°N 15.417°E / 38.000; 15.417 (Mediterranean Sea) Mediterranean Sea Strait of Messina
38°0′N15°38′E / 38.000°N 15.633°E / 38.000; 15.633 (Italy) Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Passing through Reggio di Calabria (southern suburbs)
38°0′N16°8′E / 38.000°N 16.133°E / 38.000; 16.133 (Mediterranean Sea) Mediterranean Sea Ionian Sea - passing between the islands of Kefalonia (at 38°4′N20°43′E / 38.067°N 20.717°E / 38.067; 20.717 (Kefalonia) ) and Zakynthos (at 37°56′N20°42′E / 37.933°N 20.700°E / 37.933; 20.700 (Zakynthos) ), Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
38°0′N21°16′E / 38.000°N 21.267°E / 38.000; 21.267 (Greece) Flag of Greece.svg  Greece Passing through Athens (northern suburbs)
38°0′N24°2′E / 38.000°N 24.033°E / 38.000; 24.033 (Aegean Sea) Aegean Sea
38°0′N24°14′E / 38.000°N 24.233°E / 38.000; 24.233 (Greece) Flag of Greece.svg  Greece Islands of Petalioi and Euboea
38°0′N24°34′E / 38.000°N 24.567°E / 38.000; 24.567 (Aegean Sea) Aegean Sea Passing just north of the island of Andros (at 37°59′57″N24°47′23″E / 37.99917°N 24.78972°E / 37.99917; 24.78972 (Andros) ), Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
38°0′N27°7′E / 38.000°N 27.117°E / 38.000; 27.117 (Turkey) Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Passing through Konya, Niğde and İzmir (southern suburbs)
38°0′N44°17′E / 38.000°N 44.283°E / 38.000; 44.283 (Iran) Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Passing just south of Tabriz
38°0′N48°55′E / 38.000°N 48.917°E / 38.000; 48.917 (Caspian Sea) Caspian Sea
38°0′N53°49′E / 38.000°N 53.817°E / 38.000; 53.817 (Turkmenistan) Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan
38°0′N55°17′E / 38.000°N 55.283°E / 38.000; 55.283 (Iran) Flag of Iran.svg  Iran
38°0′N57°22′E / 38.000°N 57.367°E / 38.000; 57.367 (Turkmenistan) Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan Passing just north of Ashgabat
38°0′N66°38′E / 38.000°N 66.633°E / 38.000; 66.633 (Uzbekistan) Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan
38°0′N68°17′E / 38.000°N 68.283°E / 38.000; 68.283 (Tajikistan) Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan
38°0′N70°19′E / 38.000°N 70.317°E / 38.000; 70.317 (Afghanistan) Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan
38°0′N71°16′E / 38.000°N 71.267°E / 38.000; 71.267 (Tajikistan) Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan
38°0′N74°54′E / 38.000°N 74.900°E / 38.000; 74.900 (China) Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  People's Republic of China Xinjiang
Qinghai
Gansu
Inner Mongolia
Ningxia
Inner Mongolia
Shaanxi − for around 5 km (3.1 mi)
Inner Mongolia − for around 14 km (8.7 mi)
Shaanxi
Shanxi — passing just north of Taiyuan
Hebei — passing just south of Shijiazhuang
Shandong
38°0′N118°58′E / 38.000°N 118.967°E / 38.000; 118.967 (Yellow Sea) Yellow Sea Passing just north of Baengnyeong Island (at 37°59′N124°41′E / 37.983°N 124.683°E / 37.983; 124.683 (Baengnyeong) ), Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
38°0′N125°7′E / 38.000°N 125.117°E / 38.000; 125.117 (North Korea) Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea Ongjin PeninsulaSouth Hwanghae Province
38°0′N125°35′E / 38.000°N 125.583°E / 38.000; 125.583 (Yellow Sea) Yellow Sea Ongjin Bay
38°0′N125°46′E / 38.000°N 125.767°E / 38.000; 125.767 (North Korea) Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea South Hwanghae Province
passing just south of Haeju
North Hwanghae Province
passing just north of Kaesong
38°0′N126°49′E / 38.000°N 126.817°E / 38.000; 126.817 (South Korea) Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea Gyeonggi Province- Passing through Paju, Yeoncheon County, Pocheon, Gapyeong County
Gangwon Province - Passing through Hwacheon County, Chuncheon, (passing just north of Soyang Reservoir), Inje County, Yangyang County
38°0′N128°44′E / 38.000°N 128.733°E / 38.000; 128.733 (Sea of Japan) Sea of Japan
38°0′N138°14′E / 38.000°N 138.233°E / 38.000; 138.233 (Japan) Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Island of Sado:
Niigata Prefecture
38°0′N138°33′E / 38.000°N 138.550°E / 38.000; 138.550 (Sea of Japan) Sea of Japan
38°0′N139°14′E / 38.000°N 139.233°E / 38.000; 139.233 (Japan) Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Island of Honshū:
— Niigata Prefecture
Passing just north of Niigata City
Yamagata Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
38°0′N140°55′E / 38.000°N 140.917°E / 38.000; 140.917 (Pacific Ocean) Pacific Ocean
38°0′N123°1′W / 38.000°N 123.017°W / 38.000; -123.017 (United States) Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States California - passing through Pinole and Stockton
Nevada - passing just south of Tonopah
Utah - passing through Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks
Colorado - passing through Ouray, and then just south of Pueblo
Kansas - passing just south of Newton
Missouri - passing through Camdenton and just north of Rolla
Illinois - passing just south of Mount Vernon
Indiana - passing through Evansville
Kentucky - passing through Lexington
West Virginia - passing just north of Beckley
Virginia - passing just south of Charlottesville
38°0′N76°28′W / 38.000°N 76.467°W / 38.000; -76.467 (Chesapeake Bay) Chesapeake Bay
38°0′N75°53′W / 38.000°N 75.883°W / 38.000; -75.883 (United States) Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Maryland - passing just north of Smith Island and Crisfield
Virginia - passing just north of Chincoteague
38°0′N75°16′W / 38.000°N 75.267°W / 38.000; -75.267 (Pacific Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Passing between Pico (at 38°23′N28°14′W / 38.383°N 28.233°W / 38.383; -28.233 (Pico) ) and São Miguel (at 37°55′N25°47′W / 37.917°N 25.783°W / 37.917; -25.783 (São Miguel) ) islands, Azores, Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
38°0′N8°51′W / 38.000°N 8.850°W / 38.000; -8.850 (Portugal) Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Setúbal District
Beja District - passing just south of Beja
38°0′N7°12′W / 38.000°N 7.200°W / 38.000; -7.200 (Spain) Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Andalusia
Extremadura
Region of Murcia - passing just north of Murcia
Valencian Community
38°0′N0°39′W / 38.000°N 0.650°W / 38.000; -0.650 (Mediterranean Sea) Mediterranean Sea

Korea

UN Forces crossing the 38th parallel line in Korea during the Korean War 1950 sign denoting the 38th parallel line in Korea.jpeg
UN Forces crossing the 38th parallel line in Korea during the Korean War
The Korean Peninsula first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line Korea DMZ.svg
The Korean Peninsula first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line

Japan had ruled the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945. When Japan surrendered in August 1945, the 38th parallel was established as the boundary between Soviet and American occupation zones. This parallel divided the Korean peninsula roughly in the middle. In 1948, this parallel became the boundary between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), both of which claim to be the government of the whole of Korea. On 25 June 1950, after a series of cross-border raids and gunfire from both the Northern and the Southern sides, the North Korean Army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. This sparked United Nations Security Council Resolution 82 which called for the North to return its troops to behind the 38th parallel, commencing the Korean War with United Nations troops (mostly American) helping South Korean troops to defend South Korea. [2]

After the Armistice agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, a new line was established to separate North Korea and South Korea. This Military Demarcation Line is surrounded by a Demilitarized Zone. The demarcation line crosses the 38th parallel, from the southwest to the northeast. The Demarcation Line is often confused with 38th parallel, but as can be seen in the image of the map, the two are not the same.

See also

Related Research Articles

The 41st parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 41 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The 42nd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 42 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

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 40th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 40 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">33rd parallel north</span> Circle of latitude

The 33rd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 33 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It is approximate at the midpoint between the equator and the Arctic Circle It crosses North Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean.

The 37th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 37 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The 45th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 45 degrees north of Earth's equator. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 45th parallel north is often called the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole, but the true halfway point is 16.0 km (9.9 mi) north of it because Earth is an oblate spheroid; that is, it bulges at the equator and is flattened at the poles.

The 39th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 39 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The 35th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 35 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean.

The 55th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 55 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10th parallel north</span> Circle of Latitude

The 10th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 10 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, South America and the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20th parallel north</span> Circle of latitude

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 60th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 60 degrees south of Earth's equatorial plane. No land lies on the parallel—it crosses nothing but ocean. The closest land is a group of rocks north of Coronation Island of the South Orkney Islands, which are about 54 km south of the parallel, and Thule Island and Cook Island of the South Sandwich Islands, which both are about 57 km north of the parallel.

The 15th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 15 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Saharan fringe in Africa, three key peninsulas of Asia, the Pacific Ocean, an isthmus of Central America, the southern Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">25th parallel north</span> Circle of latitude

The 25th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 25 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">26th parallel north</span> Circle of latitude

The 26th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 26 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean.

The 68th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 68 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America.

The 80th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 80 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, and 10 degrees south of the North Pole, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Arctic Ocean and North America.

The 11th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 11 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Indian Ocean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, South America and the Atlantic Ocean.

The 24th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 24 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of the Tropic of Cancer. It is the line which demarcates boundary between Pakistan and India in the general area of Rann of Kutch. It also crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean.

References

  1. "Duration of Daylight/Darkness Table for One Year". aa.usno.navy.mil. Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  2. Nash, Gary B., The American People (6th edition), Pearson Longman (New York), 2008.

Further reading