Circle of latitude

Diagram of major circles of latitude on the Earth.

On the Earth, a circle of latitude is an imaginary east-west circle that connects all locations with a given latitude. A location's position along a circle of latitude is given by its longitude. Circles of latitude are often called parallels because they are parallel to each other. It is measured in absolute location.

The five major circles of latitude are, from north to south:

Circle Of Latitude Media