The Antarctic Circle is the most southerly of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of Earth . The region south of this circle is known as the Antarctic , and the zone immediately to the north is called the Southern Temperate Zone . South of the Antarctic Circle, the Sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore visible at midnight) and the centre of the Sun (ignoring refraction) is below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore not visible at noon); this is also true within the equivalent polar circle in the Northern Hemisphere , the Arctic Circle .
23-920: The Extreme North or the Far North is a large part of Russia located mainly north of the Arctic Circle and boasting enormous mineral and natural resources . Its total area is about 5,500,000 square kilometres (2,100,000 sq mi), comprising about one-third of Russia's total area. Formally, the regions of the Extreme North comprise the whole of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug , Kamchatka Krai , Magadan Oblast , Murmansk Oblast and Sakha , as well as certain parts and cities of Arkhangelsk Oblast , Irkutsk Oblast , Khabarovsk Krai , Komi Republic , Krasnoyarsk Krai , Republic of Karelia , Sakhalin Oblast , Tuva , Tyumen Oblast , as well as all islands of
46-537: A seasonal basis. In previous centuries some semi-permanent whaling stations were established on the continent, and some whalers would live there for a year or more. At least eleven children have been born in Antarctica, albeit in stations north of the Antarctic Circle. Download coordinates as: The circumference of the Antarctic Circle is roughly 16,000 kilometres (9,900 mi). The area south of
69-633: Is often no direct view of the true horizon. The largest communities north of the Arctic Circle are situated in Russia, Norway, and Sweden: Murmansk (population 295,374) and Norilsk (178,018) in Russia; Tromsø (75,638) in Norway, Vorkuta (58,133) in Russia, Bodø (52,357) and Harstad (24,703) in Norway; and Kiruna , Sweden (22,841). Rovaniemi (62,667) in Finland is the largest settlement in
92-575: Is often no direct view of the true horizon. Mirages on the Antarctic continent tend to be even more spectacular than in Arctic regions, creating, for example, a series of apparent sunsets and sunrises while in reality the sun remains below the horizon. There is no permanent human population south of the Antarctic Circle, but there are several research stations in Antarctica operated by various nations that are inhabited by teams of scientists who rotate on
115-639: Is the largest settlement north of the Arctic Circle with about 5,000 inhabitants. The largest such community in Canada is Inuvik in the Northwest Territories , with 3,137 inhabitants. Download coordinates as: The Arctic Circle is roughly 16,000 km (9,900 mi) in circumference. The area north of the Circle is about 20,000,000 km (7,700,000 sq mi) and covers roughly 4% of Earth's surface. The Arctic Circle passes through
138-695: The Arctic Ocean , its seas, the Bering Sea , and the Sea of Okhotsk . Due to the remoteness and the harsh conditions of the area, since the Soviet times people that work there have traditionally been entitled by the Russian government to higher wages and many other benefits , including earlier retirement age , than workers of other regions. As a result of the climate and environment, the indigenous peoples of
161-548: The Arctic Ocean , the Scandinavian Peninsula , North Asia , Northern America , and Greenland. The land within the Arctic Circle is divided among eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States ( Alaska ), Canada ( Yukon , Northwest Territories , and Nunavut ), Denmark (Greenland), and Iceland (where it passes through the small offshore island of Grímsey ). The climate north of
184-624: The orbit of the Moon . Consequently, the Arctic Circle is currently drifting northwards at a speed of about 14.5 m (48 ft) per year. The word arctic comes from the Greek word ἀρκτικός ( arktikos : "near the Bear , northern") and that from the word ἄρκτος ( arktos : " bear "). The Arctic Circle is the southernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere at which the centre of
207-583: The winter solstice (which is the shortest day of the year) in the Northern Hemisphere , the Sun will not rise all day, and on the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice (which is the longest day of the year), the Sun will not set. These phenomena are referred to as polar night and midnight sun respectively, and the further north one progresses, the more pronounced these effects become. For example, in
230-526: The Arctic Circle is generally cold, but the coastal areas of Norway have a generally mild climate as a result of the Gulf Stream , which makes the ports of northern Norway and northwest Russia ice-free all year long. In the interior, summers can be quite warm, while winters are extremely cold. For example, summer temperatures in Norilsk , Russia will sometimes reach as high as 30 °C (86 °F), while
253-553: The Earth's axial tilt , which fluctuates within a margin of more than 2° over a 41,000-year period, due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon . Consequently, the Antarctic Circle is currently drifting southwards at a speed of about 14.5 m (48 ft) per year. The Antarctic Circle is the northernmost latitude in the Southern Hemisphere at which the centre of the sun can remain continuously above
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#1732766046984276-481: The Russian port city of Murmansk , three degrees above the Arctic Circle, the Sun does not rise above the horizon for 40 successive days in midwinter. The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed and currently runs 66°33′50.2″ north of the Equator . Its latitude depends on the Earth's axial tilt , which fluctuates within a margin of more than 2° over a 41,000-year period, owing to tidal forces resulting from
299-811: The Soviet Union and has been maintained by the Russian Federation. In January 2007, the State Duma Committee for Issues of the North and Far East approved a proposed law defining regions within the Far North that would determine the extent of compensation for workers. The regions were established based on general climate, with harsher regions garnering greater compensation relative to milder regions. In this legal definition, some areas, such as some mountainous areas of Tuva , do not match
322-547: The Sun can remain continuously above or below the horizon for twenty-four hours; as a result, at least once each year at any location within the Arctic Circle the centre of the Sun is visible at local midnight , and at least once the centre is not visible at local noon . Directly on the Arctic Circle these events occur, in principle, exactly once per year: at the June and December solstices , respectively. However, because of atmospheric refraction and mirages , and also because
345-679: The area have developed certain genetic differences that allow them to better cope with the region's environment, as do their cultures. In 2012, the photoreporter Justin Jin released an award-winning photodocumentary Zone of Absolute Discomfort about gas extraction in Russian Arctic. Arkhangelsk (pop. 348,783), Yakutsk (pop. 311,760), Murmansk (pop. 270,384), Severodvinsk (pop. 192,353), Norilsk (pop. 176,735), Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (pop. 164,900), Novy Urengoi (pop. 104,107), Noyabrsk (pop. 110,620), and Magadan (pop. 92,782) are
368-522: The horizon for twenty-four hours; as a result, at least once each year at any location within the Antarctic Circle the centre of the sun is visible at local midnight , and at least once the centre of the sun is below the horizon at local noon. Directly on the Antarctic Circle these events occur, in principle, exactly once per year: at the December and June solstices , respectively. However, because of atmospheric refraction and mirages , and because
391-404: The immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle, lying 6 km (4 mi) south of the line. Salekhard (51,186) in Russia is the only city in the world located directly on the Arctic Circle. In contrast, the largest North American community north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut ( Greenland ), has approximately 5,600 inhabitants. In the United States, Utqiagvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow)
414-419: The inmates of corrective labor colonies in present-day Russia, receive an extra grade of payment, referred to as the "Northern Bonus" ( severnye nadbavki Russian : северные надбавки ). Additional benefits include extra vacation, extra disability benefits, extra retirement benefits (a lower retirement age), and housing benefits, in compensation for the difficult working conditions. Such compensation began under
437-483: The intuitive geographical definition of "Extreme North"; in fact they are among the southernmost in Russia. Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles , and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle . The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at which, on
460-593: The largest cities within the Russian Far North by their population, according to the 2021 Russian census . The larger and more southern Surgut (pop. 396,443) is the largest among cities and territories equated to the Far North. The Far North is known for its extremely harsh climate. People who work there, other than the inmates of labor camps that constituted the Gulag system of the Soviet Union and
483-480: The sun appears as a disk and not a point, part of the midnight sun is visible, on the night of the northern summer solstice , at a latitude of about 50 minutes of arc (′) (90 km (56 mi)) south of the Arctic Circle. Similarly, on the day of the northern winter solstice , part of the Sun may be seen up to about 50′ north of the Arctic Circle. That is true at sea level ; those limits increase with elevation above sea level , although in mountainous regions there
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#1732766046984506-463: The sun appears as a disk and not a point, part of the midnight sun may be seen on the night of the southern summer solstice up to about 50 minutes (′) (90 km (56 mi)) north of the Antarctic Circle; similarly, on the day of the southern winter solstice , part of the sun may be seen up to about 50′ south of the Antarctic Circle. That is true at sea level; those limits increase with elevation above sea level, although in mountainous regions there
529-455: The winter temperatures frequently fall below −50 °C (−58 °F). Starting at the prime meridian and heading eastwards, the Arctic Circle passes through: Antarctic Circle The position of the Antarctic Circle is not fixed and currently runs 66°33′50.2″ south of the Equator . This figure may be slightly inaccurate because it does not allow for the effects of astronomical nutation , which can be up to 10″. Its latitude depends on
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