In the continental EU, only Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Portugal lie entirely to the south. To a very rough approximation, it follows the Pyrenees-Alps mountains. In Europe, the parallel runs through Southern France and Northern Italy. Japan, China and the Central Asian republics are almost all to the south. The only parts of Russia lying south are Vladivostok and the northern Caucasus. Heading east, the 45th passes through the southern tip of Crimea, and splits Kazakhstan and Mongolia in half. It is much better than the iconic 49th, since the largest Canadian cities are well south of that latitude. So if one wants to distinguish the US from Canada by a single straight line, the 45th is as good as any. So while almost all Americans live to the south, a large majority of Canadians live to the north. I'll guess that about 25 million of Canada's 34 million people live north of the 45th - about 74% of the population. Montreal, Ottawa, and all western cities are north of 45. John, NB lies just to the north, but Halifax, NS is just to the south. (My mother often told me that Canada was south of California.) The 45th parallel passes north of Barrie, Ontario, which means the Toronto Metro area and Western Ontario are to the south. That country's southernmost reach is Middle Island in Lake Erie, just south of the 42nd parallel. So counting six million from Washington, 2 million each from Oregon and Minnesota, and about 3 million from everywhere else, approximately 13 million Americans live north of the 45th parallel – or 4% of our population. The biggest cities are Seattle and Portland. Only four states lie entirely north of the 45th parallel: Alaska, Washington, Montana (almost), and North Dakota. And more significantly, it forms the northern boundary of New York and Vermont against Quebec. The special 45th parallel, however, is explicitly reflected in political geography in only two places: it forms Montana's southern boundary with Wyoming. And famously, the 49th parallel comprises the largest part of the US-Canada border. Colorado's northern boundary follows the 41st parallel. Other latitudes form important state lines: the four corners is at the 37th parallel and the 109th meridian. Likewise, heading south from Syracuse on I-81, just past Binghamton, it's marked as "Welcome to Pennsylvania.” It says "Welcome to California." For 42 is the southern boundary of Oregon and Idaho, against California, Nevada and Utah. Yes, for if you go south on I-5 (or almost any other road) the 42nd parallel, 7/15ths of the way from the equator to the north pole, is very well marked.
It would go with a collection of similar straddles: across the equator in Uganda, across the Arctic Circle in Finland, and across the 42nd parallel.
I wish I'd stopped and taken a picture of myself straddling the parallel. Just north of Salem we'd pass a sign that read (if memory serves) "The 45th Parallel: Halfway between the equator and the north pole." When I was a kid growing up in Oregon, we'd occasionally drive north on I-5 to Portland.
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