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1 Your web browser (Safari 7) is out of date. For more security, comfort and the best experience on this site: Update your browser Ignore EQ U ATO R For the complete encyclopedic entry with media resources, visit: An equator is an imaginary line around the middle of a planet or other celestial body. It is halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole, at 0 degrees latitude. An equator divides the planet into a Northern Hemisphere and a Southern Hemisphere. The Earth is widest at its Equator. The distance around the Earth at the Equator, its circumference, is 40,075 kilometers (24,901 miles). The Earth's diameter is also wider at the Equator, creating a phenomenon called an equatorial bulge. The diameter of a circle is measured by a straight line that passes through the center of the circle and has its endpoints on the boundary of that circle. Scientists can calculate the diameter of latitudes, such as the Equator and Arctic Circle. The Earth's diameter at the Equator is about 12,756 kilometers (7,926 miles). At the poles, the diameter is about 12,714 kilometers (7,900 miles). The Earth's equatorial bulge is about 43 kilometers (27 miles). The equatorial bulge means that people standing at sea level near the poles are closer to the center of the Earth than people standing at sea level near the Equator. The equatorial bulge affects the ocean, too sea levels are slightly higher in equatorial regions than near the poles. The equatorial bulge is created by the Earth's rotation. As lines of latitude increase in size, a point has to travel faster to complete a circle (revolution) in the same amount of time. The rotational speed, or spin, at the Arctic Circle is 1 of 7

2 slower than the spin at the Tropic of Cancer, because the circumference of the Arctic Circle is much smaller and a point doesn't have to travel as far to complete a revolution. The spin at the Tropic of Cancer is much slower than the spin at the Equator. Near the poles, the Earth's rotational speed, or spin, is near zero. At the Equator, the spin is about 1,670 kilometers per hour (1,038 miles per hour). The Earth's gravitational pull is slightly weaker at the Equator due to its equatorial bulge. The slightly weaker gravitational pull and momentum of the spinning Earth makes equatorial regions ideal places for space launches. It takes an enormous amount of energy to launch a satellite or other spacecraft out of the Earth's atmosphere. It takes less energy (rocket fuel) to launch in lower gravity. It also takes less energy to launch when the spinning Earth is already giving the satellite a push of 1,670 kilometers per hour (1,038 miles per hour). The United States launches most spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in southern Florida, as close to the Equator as possible in the continental U.S. Other rocket-launching facilities near the Equator include Shaba North, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gan Island, Maldives. Recently, mobile launch platforms, such as Ocean Odyssey, have successfully launched satellites into orbit from the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Equatorial Climates Twice a year, during the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun passes directly over the Equator. Even during the rest of the year, equatorial regions often experience a hot climate with little seasonal variation. As a result, many equatorial cultures recognize two seasons wet and dry. The wet, or rainy, season often lasts most of the year. The long, warm, rainy season 2 of 7

3 creates tropical rain forests. Some of the most expansive rain forests in the world are in equatorial regions: the Amazon rain forest of South America, the Congo rain forest of Central Africa, and the varied Southeast Asian rainforest stretching from India to Vietnam. Humid weather means that equatorial regions are not the hottest in the world, even though they are among the closest to the sun. The water in the equatorial air cools it slightly. Many cultures thrive in warm equatorial regions. The Fang people of Gabon, for instance, are successful farmers who take advantage of the warm temperature and long rainy season to cultivate crops such as corn, yams, and plantains. The Fang also raise livestock that have adapted to the climate, such as goats and chickens. Not all equatorial regions are hot and humid, however. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, is only 330 kilometers (205 miles) from the Equator, but its elevation creates a climate with cool, dry weather and even alpine glaciers. The Andes are another equatorial region lacking the hot, humid climate often associated with the Equator. The mountain range includes a desert with almost no rain (the Atacama), as well as some of the tallest peaks on Earth. Here, too, cultures have thrived for thousands of years. The Aymara people of the Altiplano of Bolivia, Peru, and Chile, are primarily an urban people who identify strongly with the innovative navigational successes of their ancestors. In the 20th century, the Aymara helped build railroads through the high, equatorial Andes. Many plant and animal species thrive in equatorial climates. The Amazon and Congo rain forest ecosystems, for example, are amazingly rich in biodiversity. A single hectare (2.47) of rain forest in Brazil may contain 750 species of trees and twice that many species of insects. The equatorial savanna of Kenya includes mammals such as lions, cheetahs, and elephants. The chilly equatorial 3 of 7

4 Andes are famous for its camelid species: llamas, alpacas, vicunas, and guanacos. Vocabulary Term Part of Speech alpine glacier 4 of 7 Definition mass of ice that moves downward from a mountain. Altiplano high plateau in the Andes Mountains of South America. Arctic Circle atmosphere biodiversity camelid paralell of latitude that runs 66.5 degrees north of the Equator. layers of gases surrounding a planet or other celestial body. all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area. adjective, family of two-toed mammal, including camels, alpacas, celestial body circumference climate and llamas. natural object in space, such as a planet or star. Also called an astronomical object. distance around the outside of a circle. all weather conditions for a given location over a period of time. crop agricultural produce. culture learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods. diameter width of a circle. ecosystem Equator equatorial bulge community and interactions of living and nonliving things in an area. imaginary line around the Earth, another planet, or star running east-west, 0 degrees latitude. difference between the equatorial and polar diameters of a planet.

5 equinox period in which daylight and darkness are nearly equal. There are two equinoxes a year. fuel material that provides power or energy. gravitational pull gravity humid innovative latitude livestock physical attraction between two massive objects. physical force by which objects attract, or pull toward, each other. adjective containing a large amount of water vapor. adjective new, advanced, or original., plural distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees. animals raised for sale and profit. momentum speed, direction, or velocity at which something moves. navigation art and science of determining an object's position, course, and distance traveled. Northern Hemisphere half of the Earth between the North Pole and the Equator. North Pole fixed point that, along with the South Pole, forms the axis on which the Earth spins. orbit path of one object around a more massive object. planet Term rain forest Part of Speech large, spherical celestial body that regularly rotates around a star. area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Definition rainy season time of year when most of the rain in a region falls. region any area on Earth with one or more common characteristics. Regions are the basic units of geography. 5 of 7

6 revolution rocket orbit, or a complete journey of an object around a more massive object. device that moves through the atmosphere by release of expanding gas. rotation object's complete turn around its own axis. satellite object that orbits around something else. Satellites can be natural, like moons, or made by people. savanna type of tropical grassland with scattered trees. sea level season seasonal variation base level for measuring elevations. Sea level is determined by measurements taken over a 19-year cycle. period of the year distinguished by special climatic conditions. differences in temperature, climate, and weather between seasons of the year. Southern Hemisphere half of the Earth between the South Pole and the Equator. South Pole fixed point that, along with the North Pole, forms the axis on which the Earth spins. spacecraft vehicle designed for travel outside Earth's atmosphere. species group of similar organisms that can reproduce with each other. thrive verb to develop and be successful. Tropic of Cancer urban Term weather line of latitude 23.5 degrees north of the Equator. adjective having to do with city life. Articles & Profiles Part of Speech state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness. Definition 6 of 7

7 National Geographic News: Dead Penguins Found Closer to Equator Than Ever Before National Geographic News: 'Chemical Equator' Divides Earth's Hemispheres National Geographic Society. All rights reserved. 7 of 7