60th parallel south

60°

60th parallel south

The 60th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 60 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. No land lies on the parallel — it crosses nothing but ocean. The closest land is a group of rocks north of Coronation Island (Melson Rocks or Governor Islands) of the South Orkney Islands, which are about 54 km south of the parallel, and Cook Island of the South Sandwich Islands, which is about 57 km north of the parallel.

The parallel marks the northern limit of the Southern Ocean (though some organisations and countries, notably Australia, have other definitions) and of the Antarctic Treaty System. It also marks the southern boundary of the South Pacific Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and the Latin American Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 18 hours, 52 minutes during the summer solstice and 5 hours, 52 minutes during the winter solstice. On December 21, the sun is at 53.83 degrees up in the sky and 6.17 degrees on June 21.

The latitudes south of this parallel are often referred to as the Screaming 60s due to the prevailing high-speed, westerly winds which can generate large waves in excess of 15 m (50 ft) and peak wind speeds over 145 km/h (90 mph).

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 60° south passes through:

Co-ordinates	Country, territory or sea	Notes
	Atlantic Ocean / Southern Ocean boundary
	Indian Ocean / Southern Ocean boundary
	Pacific Ocean / Southern Ocean boundary
	Atlantic Ocean / Southern Ocean boundary	Passing through the Drake Passage between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula and running close to the southern border of the Scotia Sea

See also

• 59th parallel south
• 61st parallel south
• 60th parallel north