GeographyWhat is the Arctic?
The Arctic is generally considered to be the area north of the Arctic Circle (66°32'N) —the latitude above which the sun doesn't rise on winter solstice or set on summer solstice.
It is alternatively defined as the area having average daily summer temperatures colder than 10°C or the area north of treeline, marked by tundra. Tundra lacks permanent snow-ice cover and is mostly underlain by permafrost.