Canada is the only North American country that stretches across the 50th latitude. This parallel runs through British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Avonlea, Saskatchewan, and Claresholm, Alberta, both vie for the title of the nearest city, with Avonlea at 50 degrees 0 minutes 54 seconds north latitude and Claresholm at 50 degrees 1 minute 12 seconds north latitude.
In Europe, the 50th parallel runs through Great Britain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and Ukraine. Of these, Great Britain is the northernmost nation, with only its southern tip crossing this line of latitude, and France is the southernmost. Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, is at 50 degrees 27 minutes north latitude.
The portions of Asia that lie at 50 degrees north latitude belong to Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. As in other portions of the world, this latitude greatly effects the climate of these countries. The 50th parallel lies well within the temperate zone, but winters are longer and colder than at lower latitudes. The subarctic climate also begins at 50 degrees in some regions, bringing with it a larger temperature range than any other climate system.
Just as there is a latitude 50 degrees north of the equator, one lies at 50 degrees south. This parallel mostly crosses over ocean, but it also runs through the southernmost portions of Chile and Argentina in South America. Despite being the closest countries to Antarctica, the climate is mostly temperate because of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans on the weather. This stands in stark contrast to comparable latitudes in the north, such as the climate of southern Siberia.