Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is a special line around the Earth far north. It is at about 66° 34' north. It is one of the two polar circles, with the other being the Antarctic Circle.

The Arctic Circle is important because of the special sunlight it has. During the December solstice, the Sun does not rise for people living here. This is called polar night. During the June solstice, the Sun never sets. This is called the midnight sun. The closer you get to the North Pole, the longer these special sunlight times last.

The word arctic comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "near the Bear, northern." This is because people long ago saw bears living in these cold lands.

The Arctic Circle goes through several places. It passes through the Arctic Ocean, parts of Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska in the United States, and Canada. Some big towns north of the Arctic Circle are Murmansk in Russia, Tromsø in Norway, and Utqiagvik, Alaska in the United States.

The climate in the Arctic Circle is usually very cold, but some coastal areas in Norway stay a little warmer because of the Gulf Stream. This keeps ports free of ice all year.