Climate Zones
There are different types of climate all over the world. Warmer ones are closer to the equator where the Sun's heat is stronger. Colder ones are nearer the North and South Poles. The Earth can be divided up into a number of climate zones according to the type of climate that exists in a particular region.
Tropical climates are found near the equator. They are warm and humid and experience a lot of rainfall, particularly during their wet season, which can occur once or twice each year. Rain forests grow in tropical climates. Deserts are places where there is very little rainfall throughout the year. Hot deserts like the Sahara in Africa lie further away from the equator than the rain forests, but nearer than the temperate regions like the British Isles. Temperatures during the day often rise above 40°C, and the sky is usually free of clouds. Temperate climates are usually found in the mid-latitudes, about half way between the equator and poles. Weather in these parts is changeable, but usually agreeable, being neither too hot, too cold, too wet nor too dry. The coldest places on Earth are found in the polar regions. Polar climates experience temperatures below freezing for much of the year. They can however, be very dry like the hot deserts, with very little snowfall during the year.
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