Tropic of Cancer

E4538

The Tropic of Cancer is the northernmost latitude on Earth where the sun can appear directly overhead, marking the boundary of the tropical zone in the Northern Hemisphere.


Statements (50)
Predicate Object
instanceOf circle of latitude
geographical line
associatedWith June solstice in Northern Hemisphere
axialTiltReference obliquity of the ecliptic
complements Tropic of Capricorn
coordinateSystem geographic coordinate system
definedBy axial tilt of the Earth
description northernmost latitude where the Sun can appear directly overhead
distanceFromEquator about 2600 km
distanceFromNorthPole about 4670 km
hasProperty position slowly changes over time due to axial precession
hemisphere Northern Hemisphere
historicalReasonForName Sun was in constellation Cancer at June solstice in classical antiquity
latitude approximately 23.5° N
approximately 23°26′ N
locatedIn Northern Hemisphere
marksBoundaryOf Torrid Zone
tropical zone
namedAfter constellation Cancer
oppositeLatitude Tropic of Capricorn
parallelTo Equator
passesThrough Algeria
Arabian Sea region
Atlantic Ocean
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Bay of Bengal region
China
Egypt
India
Libya
Mali
Mauritania
Mexico
Mexico Gulf of California region
Myanmar
Niger
Oman
Pacific Ocean
Saudi Arabia
South China Sea region
Taiwan
United Arab Emirates
Western Sahara
relatedTo summer solstice
solarEvent Sun is directly overhead at local noon on June solstice
usedIn cartography
climate classification
defining tropical climate regions
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