The 78th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 78 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Arctic Ocean and North America. It is the southernmost integral parallel north that does not pass through any continental mainland (being slightly to the north of Cape Chelyuskin).

Line across the Earth
78°
78th parallel north

At this latitude the sun is visible for 24 hours, 0 minutes during the summer solstice and nautical twilight during the winter solstice.

Around the world

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Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 78° north passes through:

Coordinates Country, territory or sea Notes
78°0′N 0°0′E / 78.000°N 0.000°E / 78.000; 0.000 (Prime Meridian) Atlantic Ocean Greenland Sea
78°0′N 13°39′E / 78.000°N 13.650°E / 78.000; 13.650 (Norway)   Norway Svalbard - island of Spitsbergen
78°0′N 18°25′E / 78.000°N 18.417°E / 78.000; 18.417 (Storfjorden) Storfjorden
78°0′N 21°8′E / 78.000°N 21.133°E / 78.000; 21.133 (Norway)   Norway Svalbard - island of Edgeøya
78°0′N 23°16′E / 78.000°N 23.267°E / 78.000; 23.267 (Barents Sea) Barents Sea
78°0′N 67°48′E / 78.000°N 67.800°E / 78.000; 67.800 (Kara Sea) Kara Sea
78°0′N 99°35′E / 78.000°N 99.583°E / 78.000; 99.583 (Russia)   Russia Severnaya Zemlya - Bolshevik Island
78°0′N 100°23′E / 78.000°N 100.383°E / 78.000; 100.383 (Kara Sea) Kara Sea
78°0′N 103°24′E / 78.000°N 103.400°E / 78.000; 103.400 (Laptev Sea) Laptev Sea Passing just south of Maly Taymyr Island,   Russia
78°0′N 123°15′E / 78.000°N 123.250°E / 78.000; 123.250 (Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean
78°0′N 114°43′W / 78.000°N 114.717°W / 78.000; -114.717 (Canada)   Canada Northwest Territories - Brock Island
78°0′N 114°19′W / 78.000°N 114.317°W / 78.000; -114.317 (Wilkins Strait) Wilkins Strait
78°0′N 112°25′W / 78.000°N 112.417°W / 78.000; -112.417 (Canada)   Canada Northwest Territories - Mackenzie King Island
Nunavut - Mackenzie King Island
78°0′N 109°36′W / 78.000°N 109.600°W / 78.000; -109.600 (Prince Gustav Adolf Sea) Prince Gustav Adolf Sea
78°0′N 105°19′W / 78.000°N 105.317°W / 78.000; -105.317 (Maclean Strait) Maclean Strait
78°0′N 102°51′W / 78.000°N 102.850°W / 78.000; -102.850 (Danish Strait) Danish Strait Passing just north of King Christian Island, Nunavut,   Canada
78°0′N 100°47′W / 78.000°N 100.783°W / 78.000; -100.783 (Canada)   Canada Nunavut - Ellef Ringnes Island
78°0′N 99°2′W / 78.000°N 99.033°W / 78.000; -99.033 (Hassel Sound) Hassel Sound
78°0′N 97°28′W / 78.000°N 97.467°W / 78.000; -97.467 (Canada)   Canada Nunavut - Amund Ringnes Island
78°0′N 95°1′W / 78.000°N 95.017°W / 78.000; -95.017 (Norwegian Bay) Norwegian Bay
78°0′N 87°50′W / 78.000°N 87.833°W / 78.000; -87.833 (Baumann Fiord) Baumann Fiord
78°0′N 85°24′W / 78.000°N 85.400°W / 78.000; -85.400 (Canada)   Canada Nunavut - Ellesmere Island
78°0′N 75°48′W / 78.000°N 75.800°W / 78.000; -75.800 (Nares Strait) Nares Strait
78°0′N 72°16′W / 78.000°N 72.267°W / 78.000; -72.267 (Greenland)   Greenland Kavigarssuk
78°0′N 24°0′W / 78.000°N 24.000°W / 78.000; -24.000 (Greenland)   Greenland Alabama Nunatak
78°0′N 18°52′W / 78.000°N 18.867°W / 78.000; -18.867 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Greenland Sea

See also

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