51° North latitude

This is exactly where the 51st parallel runs. To determine a place on earth – a sphere – imaginary latitude and longitude lines have been drawn on it. The longitudinal lines run across the North and South Poles, each dividing the Earth into two equal parts east-west. The name of a longitudinal line (or meridian) is that of the angle it makes with respect to the 0-meridian. This is the longitudinal line that runs through the London suburb of Greenwich and connects the North Pole with the South Pole. The latitudes run parallel to the equator. The equator is the longest latitude line and the only one that divides the Earth into two equal parts north-south. They get the name of latitude lines from the angle they form with the equator towards the poles: from 0° (equator) to 90° north latitude or N (= North pole) or 90° south latitude or S (= South Pole). Since the circumference of the earth is 40 000 km, the distance between the full latitudes is 40000km/360° = 111 km/°. Because our country is not too big, there is only one width line running through Flanders, namely. the 51st degree NB and which runs on the territory of the city of Mechelen. So here it is. Other well-known latitudes are the Tropic of Cancer, 23° N (on June 21 the sun is perpendicular to it, then it summers with us) and the Tropic of Capricorn, 23° S (on December 21 the sun is perpendicular to it, then it is winter here).

Dromos