Tropic of Capricorn

Lore & Background

The Tropic of Capricorn was named when the Sun was in the zodiacal Capricorn at the northern solstice. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the Sun currently appears in the zodiacal Sagittarius at this solstice.

Reader's Guide

The Tropic of Capricorn serves as the dividing line between the Southern Temperate Zone to the south and the Tropics to the north. It passes through ten countries, including parts of Africa, Australia, and South America. In southern Africa, seasonal rainfall supports farming, and holistic management practices have been promoted to combat desertification. In Australia, areas around the Tropic experience highly variable rainfall, with the Great Dividing Range enabling cultivation through relief precipitation and dammed rivers. In South America, the presence of the Andes and the Humboldt Current creates the arid Atacama Desert, while eastern slopes and Brazilian regions near the Tropic are highly productive agricultural areas. Only four countries—Eswatini, Lesotho, New Zealand, and Uruguay—lie entirely south of this line.

Did You Know?

• The Tropic of Capricorn is gradually moving northward at a rate of 0.47 arcseconds, or 15 metres, per year.
• At solar midnight on the June solstice, the Sun is 90 degrees below the horizon in all directions at this latitude.
• The distance between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Capricorn is essentially constant, moving in tandem.