The Nation
By Ekaete Bassey
Ever wondered about the existence of places and the possibility of the sun not setting in them?
Well, you are not alone on that as most persons would never have imagined the existence of such place even though they really do exist.
This goes to prove even more that the world is filled with amazing and fascinating destinations you might just want to visit in other to experience the goodness that abounds in them.
Let’s share eleven places where the sun actually does not set:
· Alaska
Alaska is the northernmost and the coldest state in the US, and it is another country, where the sun stays on the horizon continuously for a long time. From early May to the end of July the sun is out all the time, whereas in the winter, the sun doesn’t come up as well.
This island was once part of Russia, but the United States bought it from Russia and has been part of America ever since.
It is also called the state of the beautiful glaciers, in many places the sun does not set here between May and July, that is, there is no night here for a while. Here the sun sets around 12:30 p.m. At night and sunrise also occurs after 51 minutes.
Alaska has a lot of amazing destinations that are unaffected and preserved.
· Finland
Decorated with thousands of lakes and islands, Finland is quite a beautiful and attractive country.
In the summer season, the sun continues to spread its light here for about 73 days. People here sleep less in summer and more in winter. Finland is famous for its fantastic skiing destinations, and you can also see the northern lights.
· Hammerfest -Norway
Hammerfest is one of the northernmost cities in the world, and one of the oldest in Northern Norway with a population of around 8,000 people. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, for being part of the Struve Geodetic Arc.
The sunsets in this city at 12:43 am and rises again at an interval of just 40 minutes.
Norway is world-famous for its beauty. It is one of the richest countries in the world. Not only this but the people here are also very conscious about health. But the biggest feature of Norway among these features is its natural beauty.
This country comes within the Arctic Circle. The sun does not set here for about 76 days between May and July.
· Iceland
It is the largest island in Europe after Great Britain and one of the least populated countries with no mosquitoes.
In Iceland during the summer, the nights are clear and white. In the month of June, the sun never quite sets. Grimsey Island, in the Arctic Circle, and the city of Akureyri are some of the ideal places to gaze at the Midnight Sun.
Iceland is a truly fascinating country, which seems as if it’s out of this world. There are several unique and breathtaking things to see in Iceland, from the unique combination of volcanoes and glaciers to the northern lights.
There are also some regions in Iceland, where the sun stays up from early May to late July.
· Nunavut, Canada
Located two degrees above the Arctic Circle, Nunavut is a city of just over 3,000 people in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
During the winter you experience about 30 consecutive days of total darkness, but the good thing is that you have two months of 24/7 sunlight in summer.
· Qaanaaq, Greenland
The city is located in the extreme north of Greenland with less than 650 inhabitants. The period of the midnight sun lasts two and a half months, during which time people must sleep with black curtains, in order to fall asleep. Its winters are long and cold and its nights are so beautiful that there are no human words to describe them.
· Saint Petersburg, Russia
With a population of more than 1 million people, Saint Petersburg is the northernmost city in the world. It is at such a high latitude that for a month and a half, the sun does not pass below the horizon enough for the sky to darken.
· Svalbard, Norway
It is the land of polar bears which is located on a latitude of between 74° to 82° north, but not only that, the sun doesn’t set for four months between mid-April and mid-July.
Here you can see the northern lights when visiting there.
· Sweden
Sweden is a great country to visit if you want to experience the never-setting sun.
Due to the different geographical location of this country, day and night are different here. In many places in Sweden, the sun doesn’t set from May to August. There is no night here for about 100 days.
Though the sun doesn’t stay up for the complete 24 hours, as it does in Norway, you can expect 20 hours long days. From May to August, the sun sets at midnight during the summer months, and it is back up at 4:30 am.
· The Bahamas
The Bahamas is located nowhere near the poles of the earth; in fact, it is very close to the equator, so what is it doing on its list? Well, we don’t have to be that strict with the rules, do we? Though the sun does set every day in the Bahamas, and the days are exceptionally long, either the sun is so pleasant in this region of the world, that it is worth traveling.
The turquoise waters and the long white sand beaches invite thousands of tourists every year.
The Bahamas is known to have some of the most amazing beaches and resorts in the world.
· Yukon, Canada
The city in the second-largest country in the world which is covered with snow for a long time in a year.
However, the sun shines continuously for 50 days during the summer days in the north-western part of here.
Yukon is known as the land of the midnight sun, with a glorious sky and infinite summer light. All this allows a virgin nature, with wildflowers and a multitude of varieties of migratory birds.
