Is Australia on the Equator?
Much of Australia is in the tropics, but Australia is not on the Equator. The closest point – Bramble Cay in Queensland – is nearly ten degrees of latitude to the south of the Equator.
A lot of Australia is in the tropics, including popular holiday spots Broome, Darwin and Cairns. The Tropic of Capricorn passes through Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. The line skirts very close to Coral Bay, Alice Springs and Rockhampton.
Is Australia on the Equator?
But is Australia on the Equator, too? Given how far north of the Tropic of Capricorn the Top End and Cape York stretch, you might think it is. However, no part of Australia quite reaches the Equator.
The northernmost part of the Australian mainland is the tip of Cape York. This is at a latitude of 10° 41′ 21″ S. The Torres Strait Islands are further north, however, with Bramble Cay just 48km from Papua New Guinea.
How close is Australia to the Equator?
Bramble Cay is the northernmost point of Australia, and is at a latitude of 9° 8′ 23″ S. There’s still a fair way north to go from here before you hit the Equator.
Therefore, Australia is not on the Equator.
So, what about Australia’s external territories? Are any of them on the Equator? There are four main contenders here – the Coral Sea Islands, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island.
Is Australia close to the Equator? Cocos Island and Christmas Island
It’s fairly easy to take these out one by one, however. The Coral Sea Islands Territory doesn’t stretch north of Cape York. The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands looks like it’s due west of Darwin, but it’s a tiny bit to the south as well. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are south-west of Christmas Island.
This just leaves Christmas Island, which is much closer to the Indonesian island of Java than the Australian mainland. Geoscience Australia has Christmas Island at a latitude of 10°25’S, however.
This means Christmas Island is comfortably south of Bramble Cay, and a fair old distance from the Equator.
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