Tropic of Cancer Map: Which 17 Countries Lie on the Northern Tropic?

How this tool works

The Tropic of Cancer marks the northernmost latitude where the sun can be directly overhead, which happens once a year at the June solstice. The map draws the line at its exact astronomical position on an equal-area style world map, and the table below it lists every country the line crosses. Entry points and approximate overland lengths are computed by intersecting the line with country boundary polygons, so the figures are estimates based on simplified boundaries rather than survey values.

What you can do with it

• See the 17 countries the line crosses, from Mexico across the Sahara to China
• Compare overland lengths per country
• Use it to explain the solstices, tropics, and climate zones
• Check whether a specific country lies inside the tropics

Why use it

Most maps show these lines as unlabeled dashes with no detail. If you want to know exactly which countries a line passes through, and for roughly how far, you usually end up cross-referencing several articles. This page puts the line, the country list, and the lengths in one place.

Data sources and methods

• Natural Earth (1:110m cultural vectors, public domain)

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