Tropic of Capricorn Map
See the Tropic of Capricorn on a map at its exact latitude for this year, with the 10 countries it crosses, the length over land in each, and your distance from it.
Tropic of Capricorn
23.4359° S (23° 26′ 9.2″ S)
10 countries and territories on land · about 8,946 km (5,559 mi) of the line runs over land · position for 2026; it moves about 15 m a year
Click the map or search below to see how far a place is from the line.
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| # | Country or territory | From – to (longitude) | Line over land |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70.59° W – 67.15° W | 351 km (218 mi) | |
| 2 | 67.15° W – 61.42° W | 586 km (364 mi) | |
| 3 | 61.42° W – 55.53° W | 602 km (374 mi) | |
| 4 | 55.53° W – 45.04° W | 1,072 km (666 mi) | |
| 5 | 14.44° E – 19.98° E | 566 km (352 mi) | |
| 6 | 19.98° E – 27.31° E | 749 km (465 mi) | |
| 7 | 27.31° E – 31.52° E | 430 km (267 mi) | |
| 8 | 31.52° E – 35.44° E | 400 km (249 mi) | |
| 9 | 43.74° E – 47.67° E | 402 km (250 mi) | |
| 10 | 113.77° E – 150.84° E | 3,788 km (2,354 mi) |
Crossings computed for this site from Natural Earth 1:10m countries: the line is intersected with every country outline and the land stretches are measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid. Small islands and lakes can add or remove short stretches; country status follows Natural Earth. The tropics and polar circles sit at the Earth's axial tilt (and 90° minus it): the IAU 2006 mean obliquity for 2026-01-01, 23.4359° (Capitaine et al. 2003), which shrinks by about 0.47″ a year, moving these lines about 15 m a year (the polar circles toward the poles, the tropics toward the equator).
How to use the Tropic of Capricorn map
- See the line. Drawn at the Earth's current axial tilt south of the Equator.
- Explore the countries. Click a name to highlight where the Tropic crosses it.
- Check a place. Search or click to see how far it is from the Tropic.
Why the Tropic of Capricorn matters
The southern edge of the tropics
The farthest south the sun is ever directly overhead, at the December solstice.
Geography lessons
Which countries does it cross?
Travel
Markers stand on it in Brazil, Namibia, Australia and elsewhere.
Climate
It crosses the Atacama, Kalahari and Australian deserts.
Astronomy
Why its latitude changes slowly.
Where the line is and why it moves
The Tropic of Capricorn lies at the Earth's axial tilt south of the Equator. This page uses the IAU 2006 mean obliquity for the start of 2026, about 23.4359°. As the tilt slowly decreases (about 0.47 seconds of arc a year), the Tropic moves north toward the Equator by roughly 15 metres a year.
Crossings were computed from Natural Earth's 1:10 million country outlines and measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries does it cross?
Ten in this data: Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar and Australia.
Does it move?
Yes, northward by about 15 m a year.
When is the sun overhead there?
At noon on the December solstice, around 21–22 December.
Why Capricorn?
Two thousand years ago the December-solstice sun stood in Capricornus; precession has since moved it into Sagittarius.
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