30th parallel north

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The 30th parallel north is a line of latitude that stands one-third of the way between the equator and the North Pole. It is also the approximate southern border of the horse latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that much of the land area touching the 30th parallel is arid or semi-arid. If there is a source of wind from a body of water the area would more likely be subtropical.

The 30th parallel passes through Baja California, the Gulf of California, and the northern Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Crossing the Rio Grande, it enters the United States through the southern part of Texas and passes through the northern fringes of Houston. The southern part of Louisiana barely touches the line, and the city of New Orleans sits directly on it. East of New Orleans the 30th parallel goes over the Gulf of Mexico, with the states of Alabama and Mississippi stopping just short of it. It then passes through the Florida Peninsula and over the North Atlantic Ocean. It crosses North Africa, where it bisects Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt. It crosses the Suez Canal and the Arabian Peninsula, then heads over the Persian Gulf to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. It passes through Nepal and China before heading out over the East China Sea, through the Ryukyu Islands and across the vast Pacific Ocean.