38th parallel north

This article is about the circle of latitude, a portion of which used to divide the Korean Peninsula. For the history of the division, see Division of Korea. For the current division, see Military Demarcation Line and Korean Demilitarized Zone.

The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 38th parallel north formed the border between North and South Korea prior to the Korean War.

38°

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38th parallel north

38th parallel north
Hangul	삼팔선
Hanja	三八線
Revised Romanization	Sampalseon
McCune–Reischauer	Samp'alsŏn

At this latitude, the Sun is visible for 14 hours, 48 minutes during the summer solstice and 9 hours, 32 minutes during the winter solstice.

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian heading eastward, the 38th parallel north passes through:

Coordinates	Country, territory or sea	Notes
38°0′N 0°0′E	Mediterranean Sea	Passing just north of the island of Marettimo, Italy (at 37°59′43″N 12°1′47″E)
38°0′N 12°19′E	Italy	Islands of Levanzo and Sicily
38°0′N 15°25′E	Mediterranean Sea	Strait of Messina
38°0′N 15°38′E	Italy	Passing through Reggio di Calabria (southern suburbs)
38°0′N 16°8′E	Mediterranean Sea	Ionian Sea - passing between the islands of Kefalonia (at 38°4′N 20°43′E) and Zakynthos (at 37°56′N 20°42′E), Greece
38°0′N 21°16′E	Greece	Passing through Athens (northern suburbs)
38°0′N 24°2′E	Aegean Sea
38°0′N 24°14′E	Greece	Islands of Petalioi and Euboea
38°0′N 24°34′E	Aegean Sea	Passing just north of the island of Andros (at 37°59′57″N 24°47′23″E), Greece
38°0′N 27°7′E	Turkey	Passing through Konya, Niğde and İzmir (southern suburbs)
38°0′N 44°17′E	Iran	Passing just south of Tabriz
38°0′N 48°55′E	Caspian Sea
38°0′N 53°49′E	Turkmenistan
38°0′N 55°17′E	Iran
38°0′N 57°22′E	Turkmenistan	Passing just north of Ashgabat
38°0′N 66°38′E	Uzbekistan
38°0′N 68°17′E	Tajikistan
38°0′N 70°19′E	Afghanistan
38°0′N 71°16′E	Tajikistan
38°0′N 74°54′E	People's Republic of China	Xinjiang Qinghai Gansu Inner Mongolia Ningxia Inner Mongolia Shaanxi − for around 5 km (3.1 mi) Inner Mongolia − for around 14 km (8.7 mi) Shaanxi Shanxi — passing just north of Taiyuan Hebei — passing just south of Shijiazhuang Shandong
38°0′N 118°58′E	Yellow Sea	Passing just north of Baengnyeong Island (at 37°59′N 124°41′E), South Korea
38°0′N 125°7′E	North Korea	Ongjin Peninsula — South Hwanghae Province
38°0′N 125°35′E	Yellow Sea	Ongjin Bay
38°0′N 125°46′E	North Korea	South Hwanghae Province passing just south of Haeju North Hwanghae Province passing just north of Kaesong
38°0′N 126°49′E	South Korea	Gyeonggi Province- Passing through Paju, Yeoncheon County, Pocheon, Gapyeong County Gangwon Province - Passing through Hwacheon County, Chuncheon, (passing just north of Soyang Reservoir), Inje County, Yangyang County
38°0′N 128°44′E	Sea of Japan
38°0′N 138°14′E	Japan	Island of Sado: — Niigata Prefecture
38°0′N 138°33′E	Sea of Japan
38°0′N 139°14′E	Japan	Island of Honshū: — Niigata Prefecture Passing just north of Niigata City — Yamagata Prefecture — Miyagi Prefecture
38°0′N 140°55′E	Pacific Ocean
38°0′N 123°1′W	United States	California - passing through Pinole and Stockton With Sacramento a little to the north Nevada - passing just south of Tonopah Utah - passing through Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks Colorado - passing through Ouray, and then just south of Pueblo Kansas - passing just south of Newton Missouri - passing through Camdenton and just north of Rolla Illinois - passing just south of Mount Vernon Indiana - passing through Evansville Kentucky - passing through Lexington West Virginia - passing just north of Beckley Virginia - passing just south of Charlottesville
38°0′N 76°28′W	Chesapeake Bay
38°0′N 75°53′W	United States	Maryland - passing just north of Smith Island and Crisfield Virginia - passing just north of Chincoteague
38°0′N 75°16′W	Atlantic Ocean	Passing between Pico (at 38°23′N 28°14′W) and São Miguel (at 37°55′N 25°47′W) islands, Azores, Portugal
38°0′N 8°51′W	Portugal	Setúbal District Beja District - passing just south of Beja
38°0′N 7°12′W	Spain	Andalusia Extremadura Region of Murcia - passing just north of Murcia Valencian Community
38°0′N 0°39′W	Mediterranean Sea

Korea

Main article: Division of Korea

UN Forces crossing the 38th parallel line in Korea during the Korean War

The Korean Peninsula first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line

Japan had ruled the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945. When Japan surrendered in August 1945, the 38th parallel was established as the boundary between Soviet and American occupation zones. This parallel divided the Korean peninsula roughly in the middle. In 1948, this parallel became the boundary between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), both of which claim to be the government of the whole of Korea. On 25 June 1950, after a series of cross-border raids and gunfire from both the Northern and the Southern sides, the North Korean Army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. This sparked United Nations Security Council Resolution 82 which called for the North to return its troops to behind the 38th parallel, commencing the Korean War with United Nations troops (mostly American) helping South Korean troops to defend South Korea.

After the Armistice agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, a new line was established to separate North Korea and South Korea. This Military Demarcation Line is surrounded by a Demilitarized Zone. The demarcation line crosses the 38th parallel, from the southwest to the northeast.

See also

• 37th parallel north
• 38th parallel structures, series of circular depressions roughly on the 38th parallel north
• 39th parallel north
• Circle of latitude
• 17th parallel north, similar line dividing North and South Vietnam

Further reading

• Oberdorfer, Don. The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History. (1997)
• 38th parallel (geopolitics) at the Encyclopædia Britannica