title: 56th parallel north
text: # 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.
  
  ## 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
  