Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi, Lappi, Finland
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. In 2012, it is the parallel of latitude that runs 66° 33′ 44″ north of the Equator.
The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic and the zone just to the south is called the Northern Temperate Zone. The equivalent polar circle in the Southern Hemisphere is called the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle is the southernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere at which the sun can remain continuously above or below the horizon for 24 hours (at the June solstice and December solstice respectively). North of the Arctic Circle, the sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore visible at midnight) and below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year.
The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed. It directly depends on the Earth's axial tilt, which fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000-year period, notably due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon.
Relatively few people live north of the Arctic Circle due to the severe climate. Areas have been settled for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. Tens of thousands of years ago, waves of people migrated from eastern Siberia across the Bering Strait into North America and gradually eastward to settle. Much later, in the historic period, there has been migration into some Arctic areas by Europeans and other immigrants.
Rovaniemi, which lies slightly south of the Arctic Circle, has a population of approximately 60,000, and is the largest settlement in the immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara at the confluence of the river Kemijoki and its tributary, the Ounasjoki.
Date: 9th July 2019
Location: Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi, Lappi, Finland
The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic and the zone just to the south is called the Northern Temperate Zone. The equivalent polar circle in the Southern Hemisphere is called the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle is the southernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere at which the sun can remain continuously above or below the horizon for 24 hours (at the June solstice and December solstice respectively). North of the Arctic Circle, the sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore visible at midnight) and below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year.
The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed. It directly depends on the Earth's axial tilt, which fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000-year period, notably due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon.
Relatively few people live north of the Arctic Circle due to the severe climate. Areas have been settled for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. Tens of thousands of years ago, waves of people migrated from eastern Siberia across the Bering Strait into North America and gradually eastward to settle. Much later, in the historic period, there has been migration into some Arctic areas by Europeans and other immigrants.
Rovaniemi, which lies slightly south of the Arctic Circle, has a population of approximately 60,000, and is the largest settlement in the immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara at the confluence of the river Kemijoki and its tributary, the Ounasjoki.
Date: 9th July 2019
Location: Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi, Lappi, Finland
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Also in: North Finland - part 2
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