Both polar circles are the parallels of the polar regions beyond of which there exists at least a day when the sun does not rise in winter, and do not lie down in summer. Their latitude, north or south, equalize the angle of inclination of the axis of rotation of the Earth compared to the celestial axis (or the angle of inclination of the equator compared to the ecliptic ). Their angular distance to the poles is of 23°27' (the same angular distance separates the Tropique S from the equator).

The Arctic Circle crosses the Scandinavian Péninsule (Finland, Sweden and Norway), the Iceland, the Greenland, the north of the American continent (Canada and Alaska), and the north of the Russia

The polar circle the Antarctic is almost completely located on the Antarctic Ocean and delimits in an approximate way the shape of the continent the Antarctic.

See too

• Arctic Circle
• Circle the Antarctic