Paris, the capital city of France, is located in the northern-central part of the country. To determine how far north Paris is, we can look at its latitude coordinates. Paris is situated at a latitude of approximately 48.8566° N.
Latitude and Longitude
In geography, latitude and longitude are used to specify the exact location of a place on Earth’s surface. Latitude lines run horizontally around the globe and measure how far north or south a place is from the equator. On the other hand, longitude lines run vertically and indicate how far east or west a location is from the Prime Meridian.
Paris lies in the Northern Hemisphere, which means it is located above the equator. The city’s latitude coordinate places it well within this hemisphere.
The Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere encompasses all areas north of the equator and includes most of Europe, North America, Asia, and parts of Africa. Paris falls within this hemisphere, making it part of the vast northern region of our planet.
Paris’ Distance from the North Pole
If we look at Paris’ latitude coordinate (48.8566° N), we can determine its distance from the North Pole. The North Pole is situated at a latitude of 90° N.
To calculate Paris’ distance from the North Pole, we subtract its latitude coordinate from 90°:
Distance = 90° – 48.8566° ≈ 41.1434°
So, Paris is approximately 41 degrees away from the North Pole.
The Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is an imaginary line parallel to the equator that marks the southernmost point where the sun remains visible for an entire 24-hour period during the summer solstice. The circle is located at a latitude of approximately 66.5° N.
Since Paris’ latitude (48.8566° N) is significantly below the Arctic Circle, it means that the city does not experience 24-hour daylight during the summer months.
In Summary
To recap, Paris, France is located at a latitude of approximately 48.8566° N, making it part of the Northern Hemisphere. The city is approximately 41 degrees away from the North Pole and lies below the Arctic Circle, indicating that it does not experience 24-hour daylight during summer.
- Paris is located in northern-central France.
- The city lies in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Paris’ latitude coordinate is approximately 48.
- The North Pole is situated at a latitude of 90° N.
Note: Latitude and longitude coordinates are used to precisely locate places on Earth’s surface and are represented using degrees (°), minutes (‘), and seconds (“). However, for simplicity, we have rounded off the values in this article.