How many countries does the Equator pass through?
Guess before you scroll — the answer is below
The answer
13 countries
The Equator crosses 13 countries, from Ecuador and Brazil in South America, through African nations like Kenya and Gabon, to Indonesia and Kiribati in the Pacific. About 90% of its length runs over ocean or the Amazon rainforest, which is why so few major cities sit directly on it — Quito and Kampala are the rare exceptions.
How to get close to this number
Trace the line mentally, west to east. Northern South America contributes a few, equatorial Africa several more, and the Indonesian archipelago plus a Pacific island nation finish it. Walking the circumference in your head, continent by continent, is far more reliable than guessing — and it naturally produces a count in the low teens.
The reason the number is not larger is in the explanation: about nine tenths of the Equator crosses open ocean or unbroken rainforest. A line around the widest part of the planet passes through remarkably little inhabited land, which is why only a couple of significant cities sit on it despite it being the longest possible circle on Earth.
Counting depends on a judgement call or two. Some lists include countries whose territorial waters the line crosses but whose land it misses, which is why published totals occasionally differ by one or two. It is a good example of a geographic fact that sounds perfectly precise and still depends on whether you count sea.
Where this number comes from
| Source | National Geographic Society |
|---|---|
| Figure refers to | 2023 |
| Last checked | |
| Unit | countries |
Numbers move. If this one has drifted from its source, let us know.
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