Question 1

True or false: The Tropic of Capricorn is located at 23.5 degrees north latitude.

Accepted Answer

False. The Tropic of Capricorn is at 23.5° south latitude. The Tropic of Cancer is at 23.5° north.

Question 2

True or false: The Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five major circles of latitude on Earth.

Accepted Answer

True. The five major circles are the Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle, Equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn.

Question 3

True or false: The Tropic of Capricorn passes through the continent of Australia.

Accepted Answer

True. The Tropic of Capricorn crosses Australia through Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland.

Question 4

True or false: The Tropic of Capricorn passes through the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Accepted Answer

False. The Tropic of Capricorn lies at 23.5°S latitude, north of Rio de Janeiro (22.9°S). The city is entirely above the Tropic line.

Question 5

True or false: The Tropic of Capricorn was named after the constellation Capricornus.

Accepted Answer

True. Ancient Greeks named it because the Sun was in Capricornus at the December solstice when the Tropic of Capricorn was defined.

Question 6

True or false: The Tropic of Capricorn marks the boundary of the Antarctic region.

Accepted Answer

False. The Antarctic Circle (66.5°S) marks the boundary of the Antarctic region, not the Tropic of Capricorn.

Question 7

True or false: The Tropic of Capricorn drifts northward at about 15 meters per year due to changes in Earth's axial tilt.

Accepted Answer

True. Earth's axial tilt slowly varies between 22.1° and 24.5°, causing the tropic to shift roughly 15 meters per year northward.

Question 8

True or false: The Tropic of Capricorn passes through more countries than the Tropic of Cancer.

Accepted Answer

False. The Tropic of Cancer passes through approximately 16 countries, while the Tropic of Capricorn passes through about 10 countries.

Tropic of Capricorn Trivia Questions