8/24/24, 8:59 PM Arctic Circle -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle, parallel, or line of latitude around Earth, at
approximately 66°30′ N. Because of Earth’s inclination of about 23
1/2° to the vertical, it marks the southern limit of the area within
which, for one day or more each year, the sun does not set (about
June 21) or rise (about December 21). The length of continuous day
or night increases northward from one day on the Arctic Circle to six
months at the North Pole. The Antarctic Circle is the southern
counterpart of the Arctic Circle, where on any given date conditions
of daylight or darkness are exactly opposite.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most
Arctic regions
recently revised and updated by Michele Metych.
The Arctic regions are centred on the
North Pole.
Arctic Ocean
decline in minimum Arctic sea ice
extent
https://www.britannica.com/print/article/33160 1/2
8/24/24, 8:59 PM Arctic Circle -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
Remote sensing has revealed the loss
in Arctic sea ice extent since the late
1970s.
Arctic Circle
World map with the Arctic Circle
marked.
Citation Information
Article Title: Arctic Circle
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 26 July 2024
URL: https://www.britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/place/Arctic-Circle
Access Date: August 24, 2024
https://www.britannica.com/print/article/33160 2/2
