The direction in which the sun rises depends on the time of year and your latitude. The general understanding that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west is a simplification. In reality, the sun only rises due east and sets due west on two days of the year, the spring and fall equinoxes. On other days, the sun rises either north or south of due east and sets north or south of due west. At the summer solstice, the sun rises as far to the northeast as it ever does, and sets as far to the northwest. Every day after that, the sun rises a tiny bit further south. At the fall equinox, the sun rises due east and sets due west. It continues on its journey southward until, at the winter solstice, the sun rises as far to the south as it ever does, and sets as far to the southwest.
The rotation of the Earth from west to east causes the sun, moon, planets, and stars to rise in the east and make their way westward across the sky. The speed at which people are moving due to the Earths rotation decreases as you move towards the poles. At the equator, people are moving at a speed of about 1,600 kilometers an hour, while at the North Pole, there is no eastward movement due to rotation.
In summary, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west due to the Earths rotation, but the exact direction of sunrise depends on the time of year and your latitude.
