The 15th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 15 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Saharan fringe (the Sahel) in Africa, three key peninsulas of Asia (between which parts of the Indian Ocean), the Pacific Ocean, an isthmus of Central America, the southern Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Line across the Earth
15°
15th parallel north

In the Chadian-Libyan conflict of 1978 to 1987, its intra-Chad part came to be known as the "Red Line", separating opposing combatants, above all in Operation Manta.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 13 hours, 1 minute during the summer solstice and 11 hours, 14 minutes during the winter solstice.[1]

Around the world

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Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 15° north passes through:

Coordinates Country, territory or sea Notes
15°0′N 0°0′E / 15.000°N 0.000°E / 15.000; 0.000 (Prime Meridian)   Mali
15°0′N 1°0′E / 15.000°N 1.000°E / 15.000; 1.000 (Niger)   Niger
15°0′N 13°51′E / 15.000°N 13.850°E / 15.000; 13.850 (Chad)   Chad
15°0′N 22°47′E / 15.000°N 22.783°E / 15.000; 22.783 (Sudan)   Sudan
15°0′N 36°27′E / 15.000°N 36.450°E / 15.000; 36.450 (Eritrea)   Eritrea
15°0′N 40°32′E / 15.000°N 40.533°E / 15.000; 40.533 (Red Sea) Red Sea
15°0′N 42°53′E / 15.000°N 42.883°E / 15.000; 42.883 (Yemen)   Yemen
15°0′N 50°26′E / 15.000°N 50.433°E / 15.000; 50.433 (Indian Ocean) Indian Ocean Arabian Sea
15°0′N 74°1′E / 15.000°N 74.017°E / 15.000; 74.017 (India)   India Goa
Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh
15°0′N 80°3′E / 15.000°N 80.050°E / 15.000; 80.050 (Indian Ocean) Indian Ocean Bay of Bengal
Passing just north of the island of Preparis,   Myanmar
Andaman Sea
15°0′N 97°47′E / 15.000°N 97.783°E / 15.000; 97.783 (Myanmar)   Myanmar (Burma)
15°0′N 98°13′E / 15.000°N 98.217°E / 15.000; 98.217 (Thailand)   Thailand Passing through Nakhon Ratchasima
15°0′N 105°35′E / 15.000°N 105.583°E / 15.000; 105.583 (Laos)   Laos
15°0′N 107°28′E / 15.000°N 107.467°E / 15.000; 107.467 (Vietnam)   Vietnam
15°0′N 108°55′E / 15.000°N 108.917°E / 15.000; 108.917 (South China Sea) South China Sea Passing just south of the disputed Scarborough Shoal
15°0′N 120°3′E / 15.000°N 120.050°E / 15.000; 120.050 (Philippines)   Philippines Island of Luzon
15°0′N 121°33′E / 15.000°N 121.550°E / 15.000; 121.550 (Pacific Ocean) Pacific Ocean Polillo Strait
15°0′N 121°49′E / 15.000°N 121.817°E / 15.000; 121.817 (Philippines)   Philippines Island of Polillo
15°0′N 122°3′E / 15.000°N 122.050°E / 15.000; 122.050 (Pacific Ocean) Pacific Ocean Philippine Sea
15°0′N 145°35′E / 15.000°N 145.583°E / 15.000; 145.583 (Northern Mariana Islands)   Northern Mariana Islands Island of Tinian
15°0′N 145°40′E / 15.000°N 145.667°E / 15.000; 145.667 (Pacific Ocean) Pacific Ocean Passing north of Bokak Atoll,   Marshall Islands
15°0′N 92°43′W / 15.000°N 92.717°W / 15.000; -92.717 (Mexico)   Mexico Chiapas
15°0′N 92°8′W / 15.000°N 92.133°W / 15.000; -92.133 (Guatemala)   Guatemala
15°0′N 89°11′W / 15.000°N 89.183°W / 15.000; -89.183 (Honduras)   Honduras
15°0′N 83°25′W / 15.000°N 83.417°W / 15.000; -83.417 (Nicaragua)   Nicaragua For about 11 km
15°0′N 83°18′W / 15.000°N 83.300°W / 15.000; -83.300 (Honduras)   Honduras
15°0′N 83°9′W / 15.000°N 83.150°W / 15.000; -83.150 (Caribbean Sea) Caribbean Sea Passing between   Dominica and   Martinique (France)
15°0′N 61°15′W / 15.000°N 61.250°W / 15.000; -61.250 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean
15°0′N 24°28′W / 15.000°N 24.467°W / 15.000; -24.467 (Cape Verde)   Cape Verde Island of Fogo
15°0′N 24°18′W / 15.000°N 24.300°W / 15.000; -24.300 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean
15°0′N 23°44′W / 15.000°N 23.733°W / 15.000; -23.733 (Cape Verde)   Cape Verde Island of Santiago
15°0′N 23°27′W / 15.000°N 23.450°W / 15.000; -23.450 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean
15°0′N 17°4′W / 15.000°N 17.067°W / 15.000; -17.067 (Senegal)   Senegal
15°0′N 12°28′W / 15.000°N 12.467°W / 15.000; -12.467 (Mauritania)   Mauritania
15°0′N 11°48′W / 15.000°N 11.800°W / 15.000; -11.800 (Mali)   Mali
15°0′N 0°50′W / 15.000°N 0.833°W / 15.000; -0.833 (Burkina Faso)   Burkina Faso
15°0′N 0°2′W / 15.000°N 0.033°W / 15.000; -0.033 (Mali)   Mali

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Duration of Daylight/Darkness Table for One Year". U.S. Naval Observatory. 2019-09-24. Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2021-03-10.