Equator

The Equator is an imaginary line that goes around the middle of the Earth. You can see the Equator on a globe, or on some maps too, but not in real life. The Equator was discovered in the late 15th century, although Ferdinand Magellan did not follow it exactly on his famous voyage around the world.

The Equator goes through some countries, like Ecuador (which is named for it) and Zaire, but it does not go through America. Florida is the state closest to the Equator in America(except for Hawaii).

It is a line of latitude. The other kind of line on a map is longitude.

Just as Polaris is almost exactly on the celestial North Pole, the "belt" of the constellation Orion is almost exactly on the celestial equator. If you see Orion's belt is directly overhead, you know you are on the Equator. Early Polynesian seafarers may have used it for navigation.

In the British and U. S. navies, a long-standing naval tradition calls for a fraternity-like initiation ceremony when a sailor crosses the equator for the first time.