The 56th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 56 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. No land lies on the parallel — it crosses nothing but ocean.
At this latitude the sun is visible for 17 hours, 37 minutes during the December solstice and 6 hours, 57 minutes during the June solstice.[1]
Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 56° south passes through:
Co-ordinates | Ocean | Notes |
---|---|---|
56°0′S 0°0′E / 56.000°S 0.000°E | Atlantic Ocean | |
56°0′S 20°0′E / 56.000°S 20.000°E | Indian Ocean | |
56°0′S 147°0′E / 56.000°S 147.000°E | Pacific Ocean | Passing just south of Hornos Island (Cape Horn), Chile Passing through the Drake Passage between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula |
56°0′S 67°16′W / 56.000°S 67.267°W | Atlantic Ocean | Running through the Scotia Sea. |