20th parallel north

20°

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20th parallel north

The 20th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 20 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The parallel defines part of the border between Libya and Sudan.^[1] Within Sudan it defines the border between the Northern and North Darfur states.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 13 hours, 21 minutes during the summer solstice and 10 hours, 55 minutes during the winter solstice.^[2]

On 21 June, the maximum altitude of the sun is 93.44 degrees and 46.56 degrees on 21 December. In this case an angle larger than 90° means that the culmination takes place at an maximum altitude of 86.56 degrees in the opposite cardinal direction. In the northern torrid zone, the Sun remains in the south during winter, but can reach over the zenith to the north in midsummer.