Who’s Chillin’ on the Same Latitude?

February 7, 2024

Just because the latitude is the same sure doesn’t mean the climate is the same – and we’re guessing you are going to be really surprised by this map series! Think most of Europe is at the same latitude as most of the USA? Think again my friends…welcome to our series of using maps to provide different perspectives: who is at the same latitude?

Perspective

Latitude, noun: the angular distance north or south from the equator of a point on the earth’s surface, measured on the meridian of the point. OR look at our pretty images and you’ll get it!

We’re starting with 50 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 50 degrees of latitude, but wow do they have different climates:

1. Plymouth, England

2. Prague, Czech Republic

3. Kyiv, Ukraine

4. Karaganda, Kazakhstan

5. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

6. Vancouver, Canada

7. Sept-Îles, Canada

8. Puerto San Julián, Argentina

45 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 45 degrees of latitude:

1. Bordeaux, France

2. Bucharest, Romania

3. Stavropol, Russia

4. Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan

5. Sainshand, Mongolia

6. Harbin, China

7. Wakkanai, Japan

8. Portland, Oregon

9. Minneapolis, Minnesota

10. Montreal, Canada

11. Queenstown, New Zealand

12. Marino Costero Patagonia Austral Park, Argentina

Wine lovers, are you surprised that Bordeaux is at the same latitude as Minneapolis?!?

40 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 40 degrees of latitude:

1. Madrid, Spain

2. Naples, Italy

3. Ankara, Turkey

4. Baku, Azerbaijan

5. Osh, Kyrgyzstan

6. Jiayuguan City, China

7. Beijing, China

8. Aomori, Japan

9. Salt Lake City, Utah

10. Indianapolis, Indiana

11. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

12. Flinders Island, Australia

13. Wellington, New Zealand

14. Valdivia, Chile

35 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 35 degrees of latitude:

1. Tangier, Morocco

2. Sfax, Tunisia

3. Nicosia, Cyprus

4. Tehran, Iran

5. Kabul, Afghanistan

6. Gyaring Lake, Tibet

7. Zhengzhou, China

8. Tokyo, Japan

9. Santa Barbara, California

10. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

11. Charlotte, North Carolina

12. Cape Town, South Africa

13. Adelaide, Australia

14. Ahipara, New Zealand

15. Curico, Chile

16. Buenos Aires, Argentina

This marks the first time we are in Africa – in both the north and south of the continent – and did you notice that all of Western Europe is north of Charlotte, NC?!?

30 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 30 degrees of latitude:

1. Agadir, Morocco

2. Gadamis, Libya

3. Cairo, Egypt

4. Kuwait City, Kuwait

5. Multan, Pakistan

6. Lhasa, Tibet

7. Wuhan, China

8. Hermosillo, Mexico

9. Houston, Texas

10. Jacksonville, Florida

11. Springbok, South Africa

12. Qachas Nek, Lesotho

13. Dongara, Australia

14. Coffs Harbour, Australia

15. La Serena, Chile

16. Porto Alegre, Brazil

Does it surprise you that Houston is at the same latitude as Tibet?!?

25 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 25 degrees of latitude:

1. Crampel, Mauritania

2. Ghat, Libya

3. Edfu, Egypt

4. Madinah, Saudi Arabia

5. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

6. Kota, India

7. Myitkyina, Myanmar (Burma)

8. Taipei, Taiwan

9. Monterrey, Mexico

10. Key Largo, Florida

11. Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

12. Maputo, Mozambique

13. Andohahela, Madagascar

14. Carnarvon, Australia

15. Bundaberg, Australia

16. Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands

17. Taltal, Chile

18. Asunción, Paraguay

19. Cananéia, Brazil

Hey wine lovers, Salta, Argentina is also at this latitude – how is that delicious wine region at the same latitude as Key Largo?!?

20 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 20 degrees of latitude:

1. Akjoujt, Mauritania

2. Arlit, Niger

3. Abu Hamad, Sudan

4. Bisha, Saudi Arabia

5. Duqm, Oman

6. Mumbai, India

7. Puri, India

8. Thanh Hóa, Vietnam

9. Haikou, China

10. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

11. Mexico City, Mexico

12. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

13. Outjo, Namibia

14. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

15. Morondava, Madagascar

16. Bowen, Australia

17. Iquique, Chile

18. Potosi, Bolivia

19. Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Interesting to note that Hawaii is south of all of the continental USA and at the same latitude as the driest desert on earth, the Atacama Desert in Chile!

15 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 15 degrees of latitude:

1. Dakar, Senegal

2. Mopti, Mali

3. Tina, Chad

4. Asmara, Eritrea

5. Sana’a, Yemen

6. Panaji, India

7. Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

8. Manila, Philippines

9. Guatemala City, Guatemala

10. Basse-Pointe, Martinique

11. Namibe, Angola

12. Lusaka, Zambia

13. Nampula, Mozambique

14. Limmen, Australia

15. Port Olry, Vanuatu

16. La Paz, Bolivia

17. Brasília, Brazil

This is the first time in our series that the loooong country of Chile is not in our list!

10 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 10 degrees of latitude:

1. Conakry, Guinea

2. Abuja, Nigeria

3. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

4. Madurai, India

5. Ranong, Thailand

6. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

7. Cebu City, Philippines

8. San José, Costa Rica

9. Cartagena, Colombia

10. Maturín, Venezuela

11. Luanda, Angola

12. Mtwara, Tanzania

13. Kupang, Indonesia

14. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

15. Lima, Peru

16. Maceió, Brazil

The closer to the equator we get the more similar the climates – but there are still some differences here, especially with hot/dry climates.

5 degrees – both north and south:

These places are all roughly 5 degrees of latitude:

1. Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

2. Douala, Cameroon

3. Beledweyne, Somalia

4. George Town, Malaysia

5. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

6. Bogotá, Colombia

7. Cayenne, French Guiana

8. Matadi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

9. Dodoma, Tanzania

10. Bandar Lampung, Indonesia

11. Madang, Papua New Guinea

12. Piura, Peru

13. Marabá, Brazil

Of course now that we are very close to the equator we do not see nearly the variation in climate that we saw earlier in the series – but there are still some differences here, especially with wet/dry climates.