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Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is the outermost circle of latitude counted from the North Pole at which the sun does not set at the summer solstice. This phenomenon is called the midnight sun, the polar day or the polar summer.

It is also the outermost line, counted from the North Pole,that joins the points at which the sun does not rise above the horizon at the winter solstice. This phenomenon is called the polar night, midday darkness or midwinter dark.

In Sweden this area is more accessible than any other area of the northern countries that border the North Pole. It is an area of outstanding beauty and home to the Sami people who are the indigenous population and have a deep-rooted culture farming the Reindeer.

Laponia

In 1996, Laponia was inscribed on the World Heritage List by the UN body UNESCO. That means the area is important for the whole world to care for and protect. Its selection is based on the combination of unique nature and the cultural values present in Laponia. The area bears traces of the Earth’s early history but also of mankind’s. The landscape has been formed in interaction with a living Sámi tradition where reindeer herding has been pursued for a long time.