The Arctic Circle (Napapiiri in Finnish) runs through Finland near Rovaniemi and Santa Claus Village, where it is marked with a bright blue line and numerous signs.
It is one of the five major latitudes of the Earth, located at a latitude of approximately 66° 33′ 46″ North. Its official location is 66° 33′ 45.9″ North, and due to the Earth’s axial tilt, the actual line “wobbles” northward by approximately 15 meters per year.
The Arctic Circle runs through the Arctic Ocean and the territories of eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Iceland (through Grimsey Island), Canada, the United States of America (Alaska), and Greenland (Denmark).
It represents the geographical and astronomical boundary and is characterized by extreme cycles of light and darkness due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis, such as the midnight sun and the polar night.
Midnight sun is a natural phenomenon during the Arctic summer, in which the sun remains above the horizon for 24 consecutive hours. The further north one travels, the longer this phenomenon lasts, reaching up to six months.
The polar night, on the other hand, is a winter phenomenon in which the sun remains below the horizon for at least 24 hours. However, at latitudes near the Arctic Circle, this period is not one of total darkness but is often characterized by a long twilight with blue and purple hues.
