Coordinates: 23°26′14″S 0°0′0″W / 23.43722°S -0.00000°E / -23.43722; -0.00000 (Prime Meridian)

World map showing the Tropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn in 1794 Dunn Map
Map of the World

Monument marking the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn just north of Antofagasta, Chile

Longreach, Queensland, Australia

Sign marking the tropic in Maringá, Brazil

Sundial on the Tropic of Capricorn, Jujuy Province, Argentina

The Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn (or the Southern Tropic) is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point on the December (or southern) solstice. It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be directly overhead. Its northern equivalent is the Tropic of Cancer. The Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of Earth. As of 3 April 2018, its latitude is 23°26′12.9″ (or 23.43692°)[1] south of the Equator, but it is very gradually moving northward, currently at the rate of 0.47 arcseconds, or 15 metres, per year.

Contents

1 Geography and environment 2 Around the world 3 Places located along the Tropic of Capricorn 4 List of countries entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn 5 Name 6 Length 7 See also 8 External links 9 Notes

Geography and environment[edit] The Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn is the dividing line between the Southern Temperate
Temperate Zone to the south and the tropics to the north. The Northern Hemisphere equivalent of the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn is the Tropic of Cancer. The position of the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn is not fixed, but rather it varies in a complex manner over time; see under circles of latitude for information. In Australia, areas on the Tropic have some of the most variable rainfall in the world[2] and thus even the wetter areas cannot be generally farmed, since irrigation sources invariably dry up in drought years. In southern Africa, where rainfall is more reliable, farming is possible, though yields are low even with fertilisers. In South America, whilst in the continental cratons soils are almost as old as in Australia
Australia and Southern Africa, the presence of the geologically young and evolving Andes
Andes means that this region is on the western side of the subtropical anticyclones and thus receives warm and humid air from the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, areas in Brazil adjacent to the Tropic are extremely important agricultural regions, producing large quantities of crops such as sugarcane, and the natural rainforest vegetation has been almost entirely cleared, except for a few remaining patches of Atlantic Forest. Further south in Argentina, the temperate grasslands of the Pampas
Pampas region is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, producing of wheat, soybeans, maize, and beef, making the country one of the largest worldwide agricultural exporters, similar to the role played by the Prairies
Prairies region in Canada. West of the Andes, however, the Humboldt Current
Humboldt Current makes conditions extremely arid, creating the Atacama Desert, one of the driest in the world, so that no glaciers exist between Volcán Sajama
Volcán Sajama at 18˚30'S and Cerro Tres Cruces at 27˚S.[3] Vegetation
Vegetation here is almost non-existent, though on the eastern slopes of the Andes
Andes rainfall is adequate for rainfed agriculture. Further south in the region of Patagonia, shared between Argentina
Argentina and Chile, climate becomes colder, with heavy snowfall in the winter months and throughout the year. On the Western portion of Patagonia, climate is more humid, and dominated by fjords, coniferous forests and lakes owing to the presence of thawing currents from the permafrost in the peaks of the Andes
Andes mountains which divide the region. This makes the region a popular destination for ski and winter sports, particularly on the Argentine city of Bariloche
Bariloche and surrounding area. On the Eastern portion of Patagonia
Patagonia climate is generally cold and dry steppe, with high mesas and strong wind conditions. The southern tip of the island of Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego and other islands of the South Atlantic have Sub-Antarctic
Sub-Antarctic climate conditions. Around the world[edit] Starting at the Prime Meridian
Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the Tropic of Capricorn passes through 10 countries:

Co-ordinates Country, territory or sea Notes

23°26′S 0°0′E / 23.433°S 0.000°E / -23.433; 0.000 (Prime Meridian) Atlantic Ocean

23°26′S 14°27′E / 23.433°S 14.450°E / -23.433; 14.450 (Namibia)  Namibia Erongo, Khomas, Hardap, Khomas (again), and Omaheke regions

23°26′S 20°0′E / 23.433°S 20.000°E / -23.433; 20.000 (Botswana)  Botswana Kgalagadi, Kweneng and Central districts

23°26′S 27°18′E / 23.433°S 27.300°E / -23.433; 27.300 (South Africa)  South Africa Limpopo Province

23°26′S 31°33′E / 23.433°S 31.550°E / -23.433; 31.550 (Mozambique)  Mozambique Gaza and Inhambane
Inhambane provinces

23°26′S 35°26′E / 23.433°S 35.433°E / -23.433; 35.433 (Indian Ocean) Indian Ocean Mozambique Channel

23°26′S 43°45′E / 23.433°S 43.750°E / -23.433; 43.750 (Madagascar)  Madagascar Toliara
Toliara and Fianarantsoa provinces

23°26′S 47°39′E / 23.433°S 47.650°E / -23.433; 47.650 (Indian Ocean) Indian Ocean

23°26′S 113°47′E / 23.433°S 113.783°E / -23.433; 113.783 (Australia)  Australia Western Australia, Northern Territory
Northern Territory and Queensland

23°26′S 151°3′E / 23.433°S 151.050°E / -23.433; 151.050 (Coral Sea) Coral Sea Passing just south of Cato Reef in  Australia's Coral Sea
Coral Sea Islands Territory

23°26′S 166°46′E / 23.433°S 166.767°E / -23.433; 166.767 (Pacific Ocean) Pacific Ocean Passing just north of the Minerva Reefs
Minerva Reefs ( Tonga), and just south of Tubuai ( French Polynesia)

23°26′S 70°36′W / 23.433°S 70.600°W / -23.433; -70.600 (Chile)  Chile Antofagasta
Antofagasta Region

23°26′S 67°07′W / 23.433°S 67.117°W / -23.433; -67.117 (Argentina)  Argentina Jujuy, Salta, Jujuy (again), Salta (again) and Formosa provinces

23°26′S 61°23′W / 23.433°S 61.383°W / -23.433; -61.383 (Paraguay)  Paraguay Boquerón, Presidente Hayes, Concepción, San Pedro and Amambay departments

23°26′S 55°38′W / 23.433°S 55.633°W / -23.433; -55.633 (Brazil)  Brazil Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, and São Paulo
São Paulo states

23°26′S 45°2′W / 23.433°S 45.033°W / -23.433; -45.033 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean

Map
Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap · Google Maps

Download coordinates as: KML · GPX

Places located along the Tropic of Capricorn[edit] The following cities and landmarks are either located near the Tropic of Capricorn, or the tropic passes through them. This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Argentina

Andes
Andes Mountains The Chaco San Salvador de Jujuy

Australia

Paraburdoo, Western Australia Newman, Western Australia Lake Disappointment, Western Australia Gibson Desert, Western Australia Ikuntji
Ikuntji (Haast's Bluff), Northern Territory Alice Springs, Northern Territory Longreach, Queensland Great Dividing Range, Queensland Emerald, Queensland Gracemere, Queensland Rockhampton, Queensland Cape Capricorn, Queensland

Botswana

Kalahari Desert Khutse Game Reserve Kule Mahalapye

Brazil

Itaquaquecetuba Mogi das Cruzes Maringá Sorocaba Santana de Parnaíba São Paulo- Guarulhos
Guarulhos International Airport São Paulo
São Paulo (Tremembé) Guarulhos Taguaí Ubatuba

Chile

Atacama Desert Andes
Andes Mountains Antofagasta

Madagascar

Toliara

Mozambique

Inhambane
Inhambane city Morrumbene Massinga

Namibia

Walvis Bay Swakopmund Namib Desert

Paraguay

Concepción

South Africa

Kruger National Park Polokwane Capricorn District Municipality

Atsimo-Andrefana
Atsimo-Andrefana Region, Madagascar

The Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn marked in Jujuy Province
Jujuy Province in northern Argentina

Monument marking the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn as it passes through Botswana

A sign marking the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn as it passes through Namibia

Roadway plaque marking the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn in the city of Santana do Parnaíba, Brazil, at the correct latitude for year 1917.

Marker for the tropic in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil, July 2012

Roadside monument marking Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 28 January 2005

Monument marking Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 1970

Road sign marking Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn in Western Australia, Australia, 26 August 2008

Monument marking the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn just north of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Relationship between Earth's axial tilt (ε) to the tropical and polar circles

List of countries entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn[edit] As the major portion of earth's land is located in the Northern Hemisphere there are only four countries entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn (there are 74 countries entirely north of the Tropic of Cancer):

Lesotho New Zealand[4] Swaziland Uruguay

Name[edit] The Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn is so named because, when it was named about 2,000 years ago, the sun was also in the direction of the constellation Capricornus
Capricornus (capricorn is Latin
Latin for goat horn) at the December solstice. In modern times the sun appears in the constellation Sagittarius during this time. The change is due to precession of the equinoxes. The word "tropic" itself comes from the Greek trope (τροπή), meaning turn, change in direction or circumstances, referring to the fact that the sun appears to "turn back" at the solstices. Length[edit] Length of the Tropic on 11 June 2015, at 23°26′14″S is 36,788 kilometres (22,859 mi).[5] See also[edit]

23rd parallel south 24th parallel south Tropic of Cancer Arctic Circle Antarctic Circle Axial tilt Equator Milankovitch cycles Capricornus

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tropic of Capricorn.

Look up tropic of capricorn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Temporal Epoch Calculations Useful constants" See: Obliquity of the ecliptic Montana State University: Milankovitch Cycles & Glaciation

Notes[edit]

^ obliquity of the ecliptic (Eps Mean) ^ Geographical Patterning of Interannual Rainfall Variability in the Tropics and Near Tropics ^ Exposure dating of Late Glacial and pre-LGM moraines in the Cordon de Doña Rosa, Northern/Central Chile
Chile (~31°S) ^ The Cook islands, Tokelau
Tokelau and Niue, which are part of the Realm of New Zealand
New Zealand lie above the Tropic of Capricorn. ^ RhumbSolve online rhumb line calculator.

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Circles of latitude / meridians

Equator Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn Arctic Circle Antarctic Circle Equator Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn Arctic Circle Antarctic Circle Equator Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn Arctic Circle Antarctic Circle W 0° E 30° 60° 90° 120° 150° 180° 30° 60° 90° 120° 150° 180° 5° 15° 25° 35° 45° 55° 65° 75° 85° 95° 105° 115° 125° 135° 145° 155° 165° 175° 5° 15° 25° 35° 45° 55° 65° 75° 85° 95° 105° 115° 125° 135° 145° 155° 165° 175° 10° 20° 40° 50° 70° 80° 100° 110° 130° 140° 160° 170° 10° 20° 40° 50° 70° 80° 100° 110° 130° 140° 160° 170° 0° 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80° 90° 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80° 90° 5° N 15° 25° 35° 45° 55° 65° 75° 85° 5° S 15° 25° 35° 45° 55° 65° 75° 85° 45x90