Geographical location of the tropical zone and availability. Which countries are located in the tropical zone? Tropical countries

Tropical climate zones are located in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, between the subequatorial and subtropical zones. Their characteristic feature is the predominance of trade wind circulation, which contributes to the formation of a dry and hot climate. The natural zones of the tropical zone are represented by tropical rainforests, savannas, deserts and semi-deserts.

Description of tropical climate

The climate of tropical latitudes is characterized by clear sunny weather, which almost always prevails throughout the year. The air temperature depends on how high the sun rises above the horizon. In the hot season, this figure can sometimes reach 45-50 degrees Celsius. In winter, the air temperature drops sharply, sometimes to negative levels.

Temperature fluctuations are also quite noticeable during the day, when the heat of the day gives way to pleasant evening coolness and severe cold as night falls.

In the tropics there is very little precipitation, but it evaporates quickly in hot climates. These latitudes are greatly influenced by the trade winds.

Natural zones of the hot zone

The tropical zone contains zones of tropical rainforests, savannas and woodlands, tropical deserts and semi-deserts.

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• Tropical rain forests

This natural complex is located on the eastern coasts of the continents. Dense thickets of humid forests are common in the West Indies, Indochina, Australia, Madagascar, and the islands of Oceania.

Rice. 1. Dense tropical rainforests

To the south and north of the wet forests there are variably wet forests, which differ from the first ones in that with the arrival of winter, most trees shed their leaves.

• Savannas and woodlands

Forest zones gradually turn into savannas - vast flat areas covered with grasses and cereals. Here and there there are small groves of drought-resistant tree species. The fauna of the savannas is incredibly diverse. Large and small predators, ungulate mammals, and a huge number of rodents, reptiles and insects live here.

Rice. 2. Savannas and woodlands

• Tropical deserts and semi-deserts

This natural zone covers most of the continents. Being at the mercy of high atmospheric pressure, it receives little precipitation. In deserts, the air warms up so much that rain often evaporates before reaching the ground.

Tropical deserts are dominated by strong winds and the level of solar radiation is very high. Groundwater lies at great depths and is often excessively saline.

In tropical desert conditions, only those few plants and animals survive that, in the course of evolution, have learned to survive for a long time without moisture and find shelter from the scorching heat.. Total ratings received: 114.

The air temperature here is constant (+24° -26°C); at sea, temperature fluctuations can be less than 1°. The annual amount of precipitation is up to 3000 mm, and in the mountains of the equatorial belt, precipitation can fall up to 6000 mm. More water falls from the sky than evaporates, so there are many wetlands and dense rain forests - jungles. Remember the adventure films about Indiana Jones - how difficult it is for the main characters to make their way through the dense vegetation of the jungle and escape from crocodiles who adore the muddy waters of small forest rivers. All this is the equatorial belt. Its climate is greatly influenced by the trade winds, which bring heavy rainfall from the ocean.

Northern: Africa (Sahara), Asia (Arabia, southern Iranian Plateau), North America (Mexico, Western Cuba).

Southern: South America (Peru, Bolivia, Northern Chile, Paraguay), Africa (Angola, Kalahari Desert), Australia (central part of the continent).

In the tropics, the state of the atmosphere over the continent (earth) and the ocean is different, therefore a continental tropical climate and an oceanic tropical climate are distinguished.

The oceanic climate is similar to the equatorial climate, but differs from it in less cloudiness and stable winds. Summers over the oceans are warm (+20-27°C), and winters are cool (+10-15°C).

Over the tropical land (mainland tropical climate), a high pressure area prevails, so rain is a rare guest here (from 100 to 250 mm). This type of climate is characterized by very hot summers (up to +40°C) and cool winters (+15°C). The air temperature can change dramatically during the day - up to 40°C! That is, a person can languish from the heat during the day and shiver from the cold at night. Such changes lead to the destruction of rocks, creating a mass of sand and dust, which is why dust storms are frequent here.

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This type of climate, like the tropical one, forms two zones in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, which form over areas of temperate latitudes (from 40-45° North and South latitudes to the Arctic Circles).

There are many cyclones in the temperate zone, causing the weather to become capricious and produce either snow or rain. In addition, westerly winds blow here, which bring precipitation all year round. Summer in this climate zone is warm (up to +25°-28°C), winter is cold (from +4°C to -50°C). Annual precipitation ranges from 1000 mm to 3000 mm, and in the center of the continents it is only up to 100 mm.

In the temperate climate zone, unlike the equatorial and tropical ones, the seasons are clearly defined (that is, you can build snowmen in winter and swim in a river in summer).

Temperate climate is also divided into two subtypes - marine and continental.

Marine dominates the western parts of North America, South America and Eurasia. It is formed by westerly winds blowing from the ocean to the mainland, so it has fairly cool summers (+15 -20°C) and warm winters (from +5°C). Precipitation brought by westerly winds falls all year round (from 500 to 1000 mm, in the mountains up to 6000 mm).

Continental predominates in the central regions of the continents. Cyclones penetrate here less frequently, so there are warmer and drier summers (up to +26°C) and colder winters (up to -24°C), and the snow lasts a very long time and melts reluctantly.

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Polar belt

It dominates the territory above 65°-70° latitude in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, therefore it forms two zones: Arctic and Antarctic. The Polar Belt has a unique feature - the Sun does not appear here at all for several months (polar night) and does not go below the horizon for several months (polar day). Snow and ice reflect more heat than they receive, so the air is very cool and the snow does not melt for most of the year. Since a high pressure area is forming here, there are almost no clouds, the winds are weak, and the air is saturated with small ice needles. The average summer temperature does not exceed 0°C, and in winter it ranges from -20° to -40°C. Rain falls only in the summer in the form of tiny droplets - drizzle.

Between the main climatic zones there are transitional zones, which have the prefix “sub” in their names (translated from Latin as “under”). Here, air masses change seasonally, coming from neighboring belts under the influence of the Earth's rotation.

a) Subequatorial climate. In summer, all climatic zones shift to the north, so equatorial air masses begin to dominate here. They shape the weather: a lot of precipitation (1000-3000 mm), average air temperature +30°C. Even in the spring the sun reaches its zenith and burns mercilessly. In winter, all climatic zones shift to the south, and tropical air masses begin to dominate in the subequatorial zone; winter is cooler than summer (+14°C). There is little precipitation. The soils dry out after summer rains, so in the subequatorial zone, unlike the equatorial zone, there are few swamps. The territory of this climatic zone is favorable for human life, which is why many centers of civilization are located here.

The subequatorial climate forms two zones. The northern ones include: the Isthmus of Panama (Latin America), Venezuela, Guinea, the Sahel desert belt in Africa, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, all of Indochina, Southern China, part of Asia. The southern zone includes: the Amazonian lowland, Brazil (South America), central and eastern Africa and the northern coast of Australia.

b) Subtropical climate. Here tropical air masses predominate in summer, and in winter - air masses of temperate latitudes, which determines the weather: hot, dry summers (from +30°C to +50°C) and relatively cold winters with precipitation, and no stable snow cover is formed.

c) Subpolar climate. This climate zone is located only on the northern edges of Eurasia and North America. In summer, humid air masses come here from temperate latitudes, so summers here are cool (from +5°C to +10°C). Despite the small amount of precipitation, evaporation is low, since the angle of incidence of the sun's rays is small and the earth does not warm up well. Therefore, in the subpolar climate in northern Eurasia and North America there are many lakes and swamps. In winter, cold arctic air masses come here, so winters are long and cold, temperatures can drop to -50°C.

Geographic zones located in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres between 20° and 30° latitude, where trade wind circulation dominates and large areas are occupied by deserts and semi-deserts... Dictionary of Geography

northern tropical zone- in the Northern Hemisphere, between the northern subtropical and northern subequatorial zones, mostly between 30 and 10° N. w. In the Old World, it is most clearly expressed in Africa, where it occupies vast areas in the northern part of the continent (Sahara, Nubian, ... ... Geographical encyclopedia

southern tropical zone- in the Southern Hemisphere, between the southern subtropical and southern subequatorial belts. It is most widespread over the oceans, where it covers the space from the equator to 30° south. w. On continents it is relatively narrowed, mainly. between 30° and 20° S. sh... Geographical encyclopedia

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Tropical climate- South Florida is in a tropical climate Tropical climate is a type of climate typical of the tropics. According to the classification adopted for climate by V. P. Köppen, it is defined as not ... Wikipedia

Tropical dry climate- Tropical dry climate is a continental variety of trade wind climate, where there is no change in monsoons, that is, where tropical air predominates all year round. The wind regime in these continental regions is not as characteristic and stable as in ... ... Wikipedia

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There are 13 such countries. These are Australia, Algeria, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Egypt, the not universally recognized Western Sahara, China, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Chile.

In these states, the so-called trade winds arise - winds that blow through the tropics all year round. In the Northern Hemisphere they blow from the northeast, and in the Southern Hemisphere they blow from the southeast.

Residents of the countries described above feel the impact of pronounced seasonal changes in ambient temperature like no other. Moreover, they are especially strong not on the islands, but in the zone: the deeper, the stronger.

As for precipitation, it is not too abundant - only 50-150 millimeters per year. The only exceptions to this rule are the coasts of the continents, where the long-awaited moisture comes from the oceans. For example, in the tropical zone of the continent of Africa there is precipitation in winter, but in summer it is almost completely absent.

Countries with more than half of their area in the belt

This one is more extensive. The largest of them are Ethiopia, banana Ecuador, the Philippines, Uganda, Chad, Thailand, Tanzania, Sudan, USA, Somalia with its pirates, Rwanda, Peru, Panama, Oman, Nicaragua, Mali, Malaysia, Congo, Kenya, Cameroon, Zambia , Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Yemen, Brunei and others. There are more than 40 such countries in total.

Tropical territories provide about a quarter of the world's land with various types of soil formation and a variety of flora and fauna.

Geographers attribute part of the tropical to the ancient continent of Gondwana, and, according to the current location of the land on, it is in this zone that most of the earth's coral reefs are located, including the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches along the northeastern coast of Australia, is considered the world's largest coral formation. Length – 2.5 thousand kilometers, area – 344 square kilometers.

There are also mountainous states in the tropical zone, in both hemispheres. They have a more variable climate than countries without noticeable elevations. Nevertheless, there are relatively few such territories, since semi-desert and desert landscapes still predominate.

It is the hot climate in the tropical zone that makes many states located in it a “tidbit” for tourists who love to bask in the sun and swim in salty sea water.

The concept of "tropics"

Definition 1

The tropics (from the Greek “turning circle”) is the climatic zone of the planet. In a strictly geographical concept, the tropics are located between the Southern and Northern Tropics, that is, between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer - the main parallels located south and north of the equator and determining the maximum latitude at which the Sun can rise to its zenith at noon.

In the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, the Sun is at its zenith on the winter and summer solstice. At all other latitudes, the Sun appears at the zenith twice: when moving to the north and back - to the south.

The tropics are tropical zones with a characteristic hot climate.

The opposite of the tropics is the Arctic Circle.

The tropics include territories of more than 40 countries: Ecuador, Ethiopia, Uganda, Philippines, Thailand, Chad, Sudan, Tanzania, USA, Rwanda, Somalia, Peru, Oman, Panama, Mali, Nicaragua, Malaysia, Kenya, Congo, Zambia, Cameroon , Dominican Republic, Yemen, Vietnam, Brunei, etc. Partially located in the tropics: Algeria, Australia, Bahamas, Egypt, Bangladesh, Western Sahara, Libya, China, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Paraguay, Chile, Taiwan.

The tropics occupy about 25 of the planet's land masses. The soil cover, flora and fauna are varied here.

Tropical zones and tropical climate

There are two tropical zones on Earth: northern and southern, located in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres within the boundaries of 20º to 30º northern latitude and southern latitude, respectively. Part of the tropical zone belongs to the ancient continent of Gondwana.

Note 1

According to Alisov's classification, the tropical zone is located between the subequatorial and subtropical zones.

In humid areas there are savannas and deciduous forests, in arid areas there are deserts and semi-deserts.

The tropics have a tropical climate.

On both sides of the low pressure band in the tropics there are areas of high pressure. The trade wind climate with regular easterly winds – trade winds – prevails over the ocean.

In coastal areas of land, the weather is relatively dry. Precipitation falls up to 500 mm per year. Moderate cloudiness is observed. The average temperature in winter is +10-15 ºС, in summer - +20-27 ºС.

On the windward slopes of islands with mountain ranges, precipitation increases sharply.

Tropical cyclones occur rarely.

In the middle of the continent, average temperatures in winter drop no lower than +14 ºС, in summer - +30-35 ºС (in the warmest month they can rise to 40 ºС).

The highest temperatures are observed in the interior of California and northern Africa - +57-58 ºС. In Australia, temperatures can rise to +55 ºС.

On the continents, seasonal changes in air temperature are well expressed. During the day, temperature fluctuations can reach 40 ºС. Trade winds prevail.

The average annual precipitation is extremely low - 50-150 mm. The exception is the coastal areas of continents, where moisture is brought from the ocean.

In Africa, winter is dominated by cyclonic activity and precipitation occurs. In summer, precipitation is very rare. The dominance of the trade winds is replaced by a monsoon tropical climate in many tropical areas:

• northern Australia;
• South Asia;
• Southeast Asia;
• Equatorial Africa.

The intertropical convergence zone in these areas moves further north from the equator in the summer. Eastern trade winds give way to western monsoon winds, bringing the bulk of precipitation.

According to the Köppen climate classification, a tropical climate is a non-arid climate characterized by an average monthly air temperature of +17 ºС and above.

The tropical climate of Köppen has the following climate types:

• tropical rainy - corresponds to the climate of Alisovo;
• tropical monsoon tropical - corresponds to the subequatorial climate of Alisov;
• tropical climate with dry winters and rainy summers;
• tropical climate with dry summers and rainy winters.

Soils, flora and fauna

In the tropical zone, the most common soil types are:

• red-yellow ferrallitic soils – permanently moist tropical rainforests;
• red ferrallite-laterite soils – seasonally wet deciduous forests;
• red-brown soils – savannas;
• infertile soils of deserts and semi-deserts.

Red-yellow soils are common in Africa, South America, Ceylon, Madagascar and Australia.

Tropical rain forests have enormous biomass. Most of the litter decomposes due to the active activity of microorganisms. The soil-forming rocks are sedimentary-metamorphic and volcanic rocks. The humus content ranges from 3 to 10%, soil acidity is 5.5-6.5.

In tropical rainforests, large areas are occupied by tropical swamp soils. The soils of tropical forests are insufficiently supplied with potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and some other microelements. The peculiarity of the biocenoses of humid forests is that all the chemical elements necessary for plant nutrition are present in the plants themselves and are not washed away by precipitation.

The peculiarity of the soil is its poverty in water-soluble substances. Nutrients are washed deep into the soil by heavy rainfall or immediately absorbed by plants. Tropical areas that were under forests are characterized by a slash-and-burn farming system - cutting down small areas of forest, burning the felled wood, cultivating the area for one to two years and then abandoning it.

The tropics are distinguished by a variety of plant and animal forms. Many species can be found exclusively here.

The peculiarity of tropical forests is that the trees are located in several (5) tiers. The trunks are entwined with different types of vines, and the branches contain many epiphytes. Lots of orchids, ferns, lichens and terrestrial algae.

The forests and savannas are home to many predators, mainly the cat family. Scorpions, spiders, scolopendras and ants are found everywhere.

The Amazon tropics are home to jaguars, ocelots, and oncillas. In South Asia and Africa you can find leopards, mongooses, civets, and genets.

In tropical forests there are many amphibian inhabitants of the terrestrial (large snakes, small ungulates, reptiles and amphibians) or arboreal (chameleons, snakes, geckos) tier.