Equator Map
The equator — latitude 0° — is the longest circle you can draw around the Earth. This page maps it, lists all 13 countries it crosses, and explains why this single line shapes climate, spaceflight and time itself.
The 13 countries the equator passes through
Listed west to east, from the Pacific coast of South America around to the Pacific again:
- 1Ecuador — The line's namesake region; it crosses the mainland and the Galápagos Islands. The Mitad del Mundo monument near Quito marks it (the true line lies a few hundred metres north).
- 2Colombia — Clips the far south of the country in the Amazon basin, a remote stretch of rainforest.
- 3Brazil — The longest equatorial crossing of any country — through Amapá, Pará and Amazonas states. Macapá's Marco Zero monument sits on the line.
- 4São Tomé and Príncipe — The line passes through the tiny Ilhéu das Rolas islet off São Tomé island in the Gulf of Guinea.
- 5Gabon — Crosses the dense rainforests of central Gabon, one of Africa's least-disturbed equatorial zones.
- 6Republic of the Congo — A short crossing in the north of the country, through the Congo Basin forest.
- 7Democratic Republic of the Congo — Runs through the heart of the Congo Basin, the world's second-largest tropical rainforest.
- 8Uganda — Passes just south of Kampala; roadside markers near Kayabwe let travellers straddle both hemispheres.
- 9Kenya — Crosses near Nanyuki at the foot of Mount Kenya; several equator markers line the route north from Nairobi.
- 10Somalia — The line's last African landfall before the Indian Ocean, through the country's central region.
- 11Maldives — Crosses the southern atolls — one of the few places where the equator meets a coral island nation.
- 12Indonesia — The most island crossings of any country: Sumatra, Borneo (Kalimantan), Sulawesi and New Guinea, plus countless smaller islands.
- 13Kiribati — The line threads the Pacific through Kiribati's island groups, including near Kiritimati.
Why the equator matters
The equator is the only parallel that is also a great circle — the longest possible circle you can draw around the Earth, at 40,075 km. Every other parallel is shorter, shrinking to a point at the poles. Because the Earth's spin is fastest here (about 1,670 km/h at the surface), the equator is the preferred launch site for rockets heading east: they get a free velocity boost, which is why spaceports cluster near it.
Twice a year, at the March and September equinoxes, the Sun stands directly overhead at noon on the equator and day and night are almost exactly equal everywhere on Earth — "equinox" literally means "equal night". Between the equinoxes the overhead Sun migrates north to the Tropic of Cancer and south to the Tropic of Capricorn, which is what drives the seasons.
Climate on the equator is famously warm and wet rather than seasonally varied: with the Sun always high, temperatures barely change through the year, and rising air feeds the rainforests of the Amazon and Congo basins. The Coriolis effect — the apparent deflection of winds and currents — is weakest at the equator and grows toward the poles, which is why tropical cyclones almost never form within about 5° of the line.
Entry and exit points
Travelling east along the line, you enter land at Ecuador's Pacific coast (including the Galápagos), cross Colombia and then Brazil — the longest single-country stretch. After the Atlantic, the first African landfall is the tiny Ilhéu das Rolas in São Tomé and Príncipe, then Gabon, both Congos, Uganda, Kenya and Somalia. The Indian Ocean crossing touches the Maldives before the long Indonesian island-hop across Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and New Guinea, and finally the open Pacific through Kiribati.
How to use this tool
Pan and zoom the map to trace the full 40,075 km parallel from the Pacific, across South America, Africa and Asia, back to the Pacific.
The 13 crossings are listed west to east with notes on monuments, cities and landmarks sitting on the line.
The sections below cover equinoxes, the Coriolis effect, equatorial climate and why rockets launch near the line.
What people use this tool for
Name the 13 equatorial countries in order — the numbered list doubles as a study aid.
Find equator monuments (Mitad del Mundo, Marco Zero, Kayabwe) for a both-hemispheres photo.
Show why the equator is the only parallel that is also a great circle.
How it's calculated
The equator is defined as the set of points equidistant from the North and South Poles on the WGS84 reference ellipsoid, i.e. geodetic latitude exactly 0°. Its length follows from the equatorial radius (6,378.137 km): 2πR ≈ 40,075 km. Country crossings are determined by intersecting the 0° parallel with current international boundaries; island nations are included where any land territory touches the line.
Related tools and resources
Frequently asked questions
Which countries does the equator pass through?
Thirteen: Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia and Kiribati.
How long is the equator?
About 40,075 km (24,901 miles) — the longest parallel and the only one that is a great circle.
Is it always hot on the equator?
Mostly warm, but not always: altitude cools places like Quito (2,850 m), which sits almost on the line yet enjoys spring-like weather year-round.
Can you see the equator from space?
No — it is an imaginary reference line. Monuments and painted lines mark it on the ground for visitors.
What happens at the equinoxes?
Around March 20 and September 22 the Sun stands directly overhead at noon on the equator, and day and night are nearly equal worldwide.
Does water really drain differently on each side?
No — the bathtub-drain claim is a myth. The Coriolis effect is far too weak at that scale; drain direction is set by the basin's shape.