Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude (imaginary lines around the Earth) that are often marked on maps of the Earth. This is the parallel of latitude that (in 2000) runs 66° 33' 39" north of the Equator. North of this line, the Sun never rises at the Winter Solstice and never sets at the Summer Solstice.

The Arctic Circle is one way to say what part of the Earth is in the Arctic. The North Pole is in the center of the Arctic Circle.

Countries which are partly within the Arctic Circle are:
Russia
Canada
Denmark (Greenland)
United States of America (Alaska)
Norway
Sweden
Finland
Iceland (less than 1 square kilometre)

The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed. It directly depends on the Earth's axial tilt. The axial tilt fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000-year period, mostly due to tidal forces from the orbit of the Moon. The tilt is currently diminishing, so the Arctic Circle is drifting northwards at a speed of about  per year.

 Related pages 
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Eastern Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
Seasons
Solstice and equinox
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
Antarctic Circle
Circle of latitude 

Category:Lines of latitude
Category:Arctic