The four major climate zones in 4 pictures
Even in ancient times, attempts were made to divide the various climatic conditions on earth into zones. The orientation was based on the angle of incidence of the sun along the latitudes and from the 20th Century additionally on the actually occurring climatic factors in the areas. The easiest way to do this is to divide it into the four major climate zones.
1. The cold zone - at home on the poles
The northernmost resp. the southernmost of the four major climatic zones is the cold zone. Often it is also divided into a polar and a sub-polar area. One then speaks of five climate zones. The average temperature is 0 ° C, rarely higher in the polar regions. This results in long, cold winters and short, cool summers. The vegetation ranges from low-growing plants in the tundra to large coniferous forests in the taiga. The animals living here such as the arctic fox or the polar bear have adapted perfectly to the conditions.
2. The temperate zone - the climatic zone in which you will find Germany
The temperate zone joins the cold zone towards the equator. It is characterized by an average temperature of around 8 ° C and a clear change in the seasons. The occurrence of extensive deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests is characteristic of the temperate zone. In various books the taiga is not counted as a cold but as a temperate zone. In the direction of the equator, the forests turn into treeless steppes overgrown with grasses. Due to the moderate climate, a species-rich fauna has developed here.
3. The subtropics - the third of the four major climatic zones
Hot summers, mild winters and an average temperature of around 20 ° C - that is all typical for the third of the four major climate zones. On the one hand, there is a large number of species in the subtropics. Examples of this are the Mediterranean region or south-east China. Many different animal species such as the koala or the panda cavort in evergreen deciduous and coniferous trees. On the other side there are barren deserts and savannas. Grass and bush plants form the habitat for animals that have adapted to the dry climate. This mainly includes reptiles and insects.
4. The tropics - the northern and southern hemispheres meet at the equator
While the first three climatic zones in the north and south are separated from each other, the tropics consist of a whole, as the north and south parts connect with each other at the equator. The average temperature here is 25 ° C. Since the daily temperature fluctuations are greater than the annual ones, one speaks here of a time of day and not, as usual, of a seasonal climate. The vegetation begins with scrubland in the savannahs and ends in the constantly moist rainforest on the equator. More than half of all animal and plant species on earth are found in the tropics.
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