The Equator

• The equator is the midpoint of the Earth. It is expressed by an imaginary line that runs around center of the globe at a place that is equidistant from the North and South Pole. The equator divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres and has a numerical value of 0 degrees latitude.
  
  

Equatorial Zone

• The equatorial zone stretches from the Tropic of Cancer in the north to the Tropic of Capricorn in the south. Both lines are about 23 1/2 degrees latitude. The lines vary over time because of fluctuations in the tilt of the Earth's axis.
  
  

Day And Night Are Nearly Equal

• At the equator, the length of day and night are virtually equal with only a very slight fluctuation occurring as you head north. Even at the limits of the equatorial latitudes there is little difference (two or three hours at the most) between the length of day and night over the course of a year.
  
  

Rapid Sunrise And Sunset

• The sun sets and rises very quickly in the equatorial latitudes, never taking more than a few minutes even at the northern or southern edges.
  
  

Temperatures

• Day and night temperatures tend to be more uniform in the tropics with the exception of arid areas where daytime and nighttime temperatures will show a wider range of fluctuation. This also has some effect on climate.