The Yukon Flats are a vast area of wetlands , forest, bog, and low-lying ground centered on the confluence of the Yukon River , Porcupine River , and Chandalar River in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alaska . The Yukon Flats are bordered in the north by the Brooks Range , in the south by the White Mountains , and cover an area of approximately 11,000 square miles (28,490 km). The Yukon Flats are a critical waterfowl breeding ground due to the large area of wetland provided by the estimated 40,000 small lakes and streams in the area. In recognition of this fact, the area is protected under the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge .
20-618: The Yukon Flats straddle the Arctic Circle and have an extremely variable climate. Temperatures of 95 F (35 °C) are not uncommon in summer, while winter temperatures have been known to drop to -70 F (-57 °C). Several hundred Alaska Natives and others live in the Yukon Flats area. Though most of the region's people are concentrated in the villages of Fort Yukon , Venetie , Beaver , Stevens Village , Chalkyitsik , and smaller settlements, numerous hunting cabins and seasonal settlements also dot
40-544: A location in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 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
60-613: 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
80-682: Is seen as summer's beginning. In Sweden , midsummer is one of the year's major holidays when the country closes down as much as during Christmas. The following tables contain information on the length of the day on 20 June 2016, close to the summer solstice of the Northern Hemisphere and winter solstice of the Southern Hemisphere . The data was collected from the website of the Finnish Meteorological Institute as well as from certain other websites. The data
100-486: Is seen as the beginning of summer. On the summer solstice, Earth's maximum axial tilt toward the Sun is 23.44°. Likewise, the Sun's declination from the celestial equator is 23.44°. Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year for that hemisphere, the dates of earliest sunrise and latest sunset vary by a few days. This is because Earth orbits the Sun in an ellipse, and its orbital speed varies slightly during
120-477: Is the day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year in that hemisphere, when the sun is at its highest position in the sky. At either pole there is continuous daylight at the time of its summer solstice. The opposite event is the winter solstice . The summer solstice occurs during the hemisphere's summer . In the Northern Hemisphere , this is the June solstice (20, 21 or 22 June) and in
140-622: 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
160-585: 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
180-473: The Roman Empire , the traditional date of the summer solstice was 24 June. In Germanic-speaking cultures, the time around the summer solstice is called ' midsummer '. Traditionally in northern Europe midsummer was reckoned as the night of 23–24 June, with summer beginning on May Day . The summer solstice continues to be seen as the middle of summer in many European cultures, but in some cultures or calendars it
200-473: The Southern Hemisphere , this is the December solstice (20, 21, 22 or 23 of December). Since prehistory, the summer solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures, and has been marked by festivals and rituals. Traditionally, in temperate regions (especially Europe), the summer solstice is seen as the middle of summer and referred to as midsummer ; although today in some countries and calendars it
220-542: 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
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#1732837289169240-522: 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
260-515: 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
280-574: 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
300-497: 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
320-404: 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)
340-414: The region. The region also potentially contains a large deposit of crude oil and natural gas . In 2008, a land trade was proposed between Doyon, Limited and the federal government. The exchange was to consolidate land holdings by the native corporation but was not completed. 66°40′N 145°45′W / 66.667°N 145.750°W / 66.667; -145.750 This article about
360-480: 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
380-412: The winter temperatures frequently fall below −50 °C (−58 °F). Starting at the prime meridian and heading eastwards, the Arctic Circle passes through: Summer solstice The summer solstice or estival solstice occurs when one of Earth 's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun . It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern ). The summer solstice
400-713: The year. There is evidence that the summer solstice has been culturally important since the Neolithic era. Many ancient monuments in Europe especially, as well as parts of the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the summer solstice (see archaeoastronomy ). The significance of the summer solstice has varied among cultures, but most recognize the event in some way with holidays , festivals , and rituals around that time with themes of fertility. In
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