56°

56th parallel north

The 56th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 56 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

At this latitude the sun is visible for 17 hours, 37 minutes during the summer solstice and 6 hours, 57 minutes during the winter solstice.^[1]

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 56° north passes through:

Co-ordinates	Country, territory or sea	Notes
56°0′N 0°0′E / 56.000°N 0.000°E / 56.000; 0.000 (Prime Meridian)	North Sea
56°0′N 8°7′E / 56.000°N 8.117°E / 56.000; 8.117 (Denmark)	Denmark	Jutland (mainland)
56°0′N 10°17′E / 56.000°N 10.283°E / 56.000; 10.283 (Kattegat)	Kattegat
56°0′N 10°33′E / 56.000°N 10.550°E / 56.000; 10.550 (Denmark)	Denmark	Island of Samsø, passing through the northern tip for about 400 meters
56°0′N 10°33′E / 56.000°N 10.550°E / 56.000; 10.550 (Kattegat)	Kattegat
56°0′N 11°55′E / 56.000°N 11.917°E / 56.000; 11.917 (Denmark)	Denmark	Island of Sjælland, passing just south of Helsingør
56°0′N 12°35′E / 56.000°N 12.583°E / 56.000; 12.583 (Øresund)	Øresund
56°0′N 12°43′E / 56.000°N 12.717°E / 56.000; 12.717 (Sweden)	Sweden	Scania, passing just south of Helsingborg
56°0′N 14°27′E / 56.000°N 14.450°E / 56.000; 14.450 (Hanöbunkten)	Hanöbukten
56°0′N 14°37′E / 56.000°N 14.617°E / 56.000; 14.617 (Sweden)	Sweden	Blekinge
56°0′N 14°44′E / 56.000°N 14.733°E / 56.000; 14.733 (Baltic Sea)	Baltic Sea
56°0′N 21°4′E / 56.000°N 21.067°E / 56.000; 21.067 (Lithuania)	Lithuania	Klaipėda County
56°0′N 25°52′E / 56.000°N 25.867°E / 56.000; 25.867 (Latvia)	Latvia	Passing just north of Daugavpils
56°0′N 27°49′E / 56.000°N 27.817°E / 56.000; 27.817 (Belarus)	Belarus	Vitebsk Region
56°0′N 28°43′E / 56.000°N 28.717°E / 56.000; 28.717 (Russia)	Russia	For about 13 km
56°0′N 28°55′E / 56.000°N 28.917°E / 56.000; 28.917 (Belarus)	Belarus	For about 17 km
56°0′N 29°12′E / 56.000°N 29.200°E / 56.000; 29.200 (Russia)	Russia	Passing just north of Moscow
56°0′N 137°25′E / 56.000°N 137.417°E / 56.000; 137.417 (Sea of Okhotsk)	Sea of Okhotsk
56°0′N 155°40′E / 56.000°N 155.667°E / 56.000; 155.667 (Russia)	Russia	Kamchatka Peninsula
56°0′N 162°5′E / 56.000°N 162.083°E / 56.000; 162.083 (Bering Sea)	Bering Sea
56°0′N 160°34′W / 56.000°N 160.567°W / 56.000; -160.567 (United States)	United States	Alaska - the Alaska Peninsula
56°0′N 158°25′W / 56.000°N 158.417°W / 56.000; -158.417 (Pacific Ocean)	Pacific Ocean	Gulf of Alaska - passing just south of the Semidi Islands, and just north of Chirikof Island, Alaska,  United States Passing just south of Kuiu Island, Alaska,  United States
56°0′N 133°35′W / 56.000°N 133.583°W / 56.000; -133.583 (United States)	United States	Alaska - Kosciusko Island, Prince of Wales Island, Etolin Island and the Alaska Panhandle
56°0′N 130°1′W / 56.000°N 130.017°W / 56.000; -130.017 (Canada)	Canada	British Columbia - passing 2.5 km south of Hudson's Hope Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Ontario - passing just north of Fort Severn
56°0′N 87°26′W / 56.000°N 87.433°W / 56.000; -87.433 (Hudson Bay)	Hudson Bay
56°0′N 79°53′W / 56.000°N 79.883°W / 56.000; -79.883 (Canada)	Canada	Nunavut - Flaherty Island and Innetalling Island
56°0′N 78°59′W / 56.000°N 78.983°W / 56.000; -78.983 (Hudson Bay)	Hudson Bay
56°0′N 76°46′W / 56.000°N 76.767°W / 56.000; -76.767 (Canada)	Canada	Quebec Newfoundland and Labrador
56°0′N 60°49′W / 56.000°N 60.817°W / 56.000; -60.817 (Atlantic Ocean)	Atlantic Ocean
56°0′N 6°0′W / 56.000°N 6.000°W / 56.000; -6.000 (United Kingdom)	United Kingdom	Scotland - Island of Jura
56°0′N 5°48′W / 56.000°N 5.800°W / 56.000; -5.800 (Sound of Jura)	Sound of Jura
56°0′N 5°41′W / 56.000°N 5.683°W / 56.000; -5.683 (United Kingdom)	United Kingdom	Scotland, passing through Helensburgh and then Falkirk town centre
56°0′N 3°21′W / 56.000°N 3.350°W / 56.000; -3.350 (Firth of Forth)	Firth of Forth	Passing through the Forth Bridge, and just north of Edinburgh
56°0′N 2°53′W / 56.000°N 2.883°W / 56.000; -2.883 (United Kingdom)	United Kingdom	Scotland, passing through Dunbar
56°0′N 2°30′W / 56.000°N 2.500°W / 56.000; -2.500 (North Sea)	North Sea