The Equator is the line at 0 degrees latitude crossing Earth.
It is an imaginary circle around Earth that divides the planet into the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. Latitude measures angular distance north or south of the Equator, so every point on the line has a latitude of zero degrees.
The Equator passes through parts of South America, Africa, and maritime Southeast Asia. Countries it crosses include Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Indonesia, and Kiribati.
The Equator is not the same as the Prime Meridian. The Equator measures north-south position, while the Prime Meridian at 0 degrees longitude measures east-west position. Earth’s equatorial region receives intense sunlight throughout the year, although local climates vary greatly because elevation, rainfall, ocean currents, and geography also matter.