60th parallel north
The 60th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 60 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Although it lies approximately twice as far away from the Equator as from the North Pole, the 60th parallel is supposed to be half as long as the Equator line. This is where the Earth bulges halfway as much as on the Equator.
At this latitude the sun is visible for 18 hours, 52 minutes during the summer solstice and 5 hours, 52 minutes during the winter solstice.[1] On 21 June, the sun is at 53.83 degrees up in the sky and 6.17 degrees on 21 December.
Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 60° north passes through:
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Co-ordinates |
Country, territory or sea |
Notes |
|
North Sea |
|
|
Norway |
Islands of Møkster, Selbjørn, Huftarøy, Reksteren and Tysnesøy, and the mainland
Passing just north of Oslo |
|
Sweden |
|
|
Baltic Sea |
|
|
Åland Islands |
|
|
Baltic Sea |
|
|
Finland |
|
|
Baltic Sea |
Passing just south of Helsinki, Finland |
|
Finland |
Porkkala peninsula |
|
Baltic Sea |
Gulf of Finland - passing just south of the island of Gogland, Russia |
|
Russia |
Island of Moshchnyy |
|
Baltic Sea |
Gulf of Finland |
|
Russia |
Island of Kotlin (city of Kronstadt) |
|
Baltic Sea |
Gulf of Finland |
|
Russia |
Passing just north of Saint Petersburg
Passing through Lake Ladoga |
|
Sea of Okhotsk |
Shelikhov Gulf |
|
Russia |
Kamchatka Peninsula |
|
Bering Sea |
|
|
Russia |
|
|
Bering Sea |
Olyutorsky Gulf |
|
Russia |
|
|
Bering Sea |
|
|
United States |
Alaska - Nunivak Island |
|
Etolin Strait |
|
|
United States |
Alaska |
|
Cook Inlet |
|
|
United States |
Alaska - Kenai Peninsula, Evans Island, Elrington Island, Latouche Island and Montague Island |
|
Pacific Ocean |
Gulf of Alaska |
|
United States |
Alaska - Wingham Island, Kayak Island and a small section of mainland |
|
Pacific Ocean |
Gulf of Alaska |
|
United States |
Alaska |
|
Canada |
Yukon / British Columbia border
Northwest Territories / British Columbia border
Northwest Territories / Alberta border
Northwest Territories / Saskatchewan border
Northwest Territories / Manitoba border - for about 400m
Nunavut / Manitoba border |
|
Hudson Bay |
Passing just north of the Ottawa Islands, Nunavut, Canada |
|
Canada |
Quebec |
|
Ungava Bay |
|
|
Canada |
Quebec
Newfoundland and Labrador |
|
|
Davis Strait south limit (according to the International Hydrographic Organization[2]
Atlantic Ocean north limit[2]
Labrador Sea north limit[2] |
|
Greenland |
Egger Island |
|
Atlantic Ocean |
|
|
United Kingdom |
Scotland - Islands of Mainland and Mousa, Shetland Islands |
|
North Sea |
|
Canada
In Canada, the 60th parallel constitutes the mainland boundary between the northern territories of Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut to the north, and the western provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to the south.
Accordingly, "north of 60" is an expression often used for the territories, although parts of Nunavut (the islands of Hudson Bay and James Bay) are located south of the 60th parallel, and parts of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador are located north, to the east of Hudson Bay. A 1990s TV show on CBC about life in the NWT was called North of 60.
Canada's only Four Corners are located at the intersection of the 60th parallel and the 102nd meridian west, between the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. However, this is not a true quadripoint as the Saskatchewan / Manitoba border actually runs slightly west of the meridian.
See also
References