GeowebInfo

The Equator is an imaginary line that divides the earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Also known as the Great Circle, the Equator is at latitude 0 degree. Countries through which the Equator passes, experience quick sunrise and sunset and equal hours of day and night. Here’s a Google Maps Mashup of the countries that lie on the Equator.

The Prime Meridian also known as the Greenwich Meridian, is the imaginary vertical line passing through the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London. It is the meridian at which the longitude is 0 degrees. The Prime Meridian along with the 180 degree longitude, known as the International Date Line divide the Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres. These two meridians encircle the earth like a longitudinal equator.

Here’s a Google Maps Mashup depicting the countries through which the Prime Meridian passes.

Here is a listing of the world’s smallest independent countries that are less than 200 square miles (518 square kilometers) in area.

1. Vatican City – 0.2 square miles
2. Monaco – 0.7 square miles
3. Nauru – 8.5 square miles
4. Tuvalu – 9 square miles
5. San Marino – 24 square miles
6. Liechtenstein – 62 square miles
7. Marshall Islands – 70 square miles
8. Saint Kitts and Nevis – 104 square miles
9. Seychelles – 107 square miles
10. Maldives – 115 square miles
11. Malta – 122 square miles
12. Grenada – 133 square miles
13. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – 150 square miles
14. Barbados – 166 square miles
15. Antigua and Barbuda – 171 square miles
16. Andorra – 180 square miles
17. Palau – 191 square miles

Please go to http://geography.about.com/cs/countries/a/smallcountries.htm?nl=1 for a comprehensive article on the same.