It is located at 66½° north of the equator.
Explanation
The Earth is mapped using imaginary lines of latitude and longitude to define locations and climatic zones. There are five major circles of latitude: the Equator, the Tropic of Cancer, the Tropic of Capricorn, the Arctic Circle, and the Antarctic Circle.Option Analysis:
- It is located at 66½° south of the equator. is incorrect: The latitude located at 66½° South of the equator is the Antarctic Circle.
- It is located at 66½° north of the equator. is correct: The Arctic Circle is the parallel of latitude located approximately at 66½° North of the equator. It marks the southern limit of the polar region where the sun does not set on the summer solstice or rise on the winter solstice.
- It passes through the North Pole. is incorrect: The Arctic Circle does not pass through the North Pole. The North Pole is a specific geographic point located at 90° North. The Arctic Circle encircles the region surrounding the North Pole.
- It is a Great Circle. is incorrect: A Great Circle is any circle drawn on a sphere whose center coincides with the center of the sphere (dividing the sphere into two equal hemispheres). On Earth, the Equator is the only latitude that is a Great Circle. All other latitudes, including the Arctic Circle, are Small Circles.
Key Takeaway: The Arctic Circle is situated at 66½° N latitude. Geometrically, it is a Small Circle, unlike the Equator, which is a Great Circle.