Which of the following cities lies closest to the Equator in terms of latitude?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests understanding of latitude and world city locations by asking which city lies nearest to the Equator. The Equator is at 0 degrees latitude, and places close to it have characteristic climate and daylight patterns. Knowing which cities are very near the Equator helps students connect maps with climate zones. Although all the options are relatively low latitude cities, one of them is clearly the closest to 0 degrees.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The Equator is at 0 degrees latitude.
• Options are Singapore, Lagos, Colombo and Jakarta.
• All listed cities are in tropical regions but at slightly different latitudes.
• We need to identify the city whose latitude is numerically smallest in absolute value.

Concept / Approach:
Singapore is located just north of the Equator, at about 1 degree north latitude. Lagos, in Nigeria, lies around 6 degrees north, while Colombo in Sri Lanka is roughly 6 to 7 degrees north. Jakarta in Indonesia is around 6 degrees south. The city closest to the Equator is the one whose latitude, whether north or south, is nearest to 0 degrees. A difference of about 1 degree of latitude corresponds to roughly 111 kilometres on the Earth surface. Therefore, Singapore at about 1 degree north is nearer to the Equator than the other cities, which are at approximately 6 degrees north or south.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Equator is defined as 0 degrees latitude. Step 2: Remember approximate latitudes: Singapore is about 1 degree north, Lagos about 6 degrees north, Colombo about 6 to 7 degrees north and Jakarta about 6 degrees south. Step 3: Convert these mentally to absolute distances from the Equator in degrees: Singapore about 1, Lagos and Jakarta about 6, and Colombo about 6 to 7. Step 4: Identify that 1 degree is significantly closer to zero than 6 or 7 degrees. Step 5: Conclude that Singapore lies closest to the Equator among the options.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, picture a world map or recall that Singapore has a very hot and humid equatorial climate with almost no cool season, which is characteristic of locations very near the Equator. Lagos and Colombo have tropical climates as well, but they exhibit slightly more seasonal variation because they are further from 0 degrees latitude. Jakarta lies south of the Equator, but still around 6 degrees away from it. Various geography sources and climate classification maps show Singapore almost touching the Equator line, confirming that it is indeed the nearest city among the given options. This is why exam keys treat Singapore as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Lagos is around 6 degrees north, which makes it clearly further from the Equator than Singapore at about 1 degree north.
Colombo is also at about 6 to 7 degrees north, again placing it further away from 0 degrees latitude than Singapore.
Jakarta is around 6 degrees south, which is similar in distance to Lagos and not as close to the Equator as Singapore is.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students know that Jakarta lies in Indonesia, a country famous for equatorial islands, and may mistakenly assume that Jakarta itself is almost on the Equator. Others might be influenced by the tropical climates of Lagos and Colombo and forget that they are still several degrees away from 0 degrees latitude. A further pitfall is to think only in terms of hemisphere (north versus south) rather than distance from the Equator itself. To avoid these errors, focus on the magnitude of the latitude value. The smaller the absolute value, the closer the location is to the Equator. With that rule, Singapore at about 1 degree north clearly stands out.

Final Answer:
Among the given options, the city that lies closest to the Equator is Singapore.