The frigid zone

The frigid zone is a geographical zone that is found near the polar regions of planet Earth. The northernmost parts of North America and Europe are located in the frigid zone, as are Greenland, half of Iceland, and the whole continent of Antarctica. There are no areas belonging to the frigid zone in South America.

The frigid zone experiences an extremely cold winter every year. The northernmost parts of the region have no summer. Snow rarely has time to melt completely during the summer. The monthly average temperature never rises above 10 degrees Celsius.

 

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The temperate zone

Most parts of North America and Europe are located in the temperate zone. The southernmost tip of South America also belongs to the temperate zone. The temperate zone experiences cold winters with occasional snowfall. Summers in the temperate zone are quite warm.

The temperate zone experiences four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

In the temperate zone, the average temperature of the warmest month exceeds +10 degrees Celsius, whereas the average temperature of the coldest month can range between 0-18 degrees Celsius. This means that the winter temperatures of the temperate zone are quite varied. You can see this when comparing the winter temperatures of Rovaniemi, London, München and Moscow. The climatic variation within the European temperate zone is examined in further detail below. 

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The subtropical zone

The subtropical zone is located near the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. A good example of a subtropical climate zone is found in the Mediterranean region, which includes countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain.

Only a small part of North America is located in the subtropical zone. This part runs through Florida to California. In South America, the subtropical zone encompasses an area between the Andes and the equator.

The subtropical zone has a short, temperate winter, which is balanced by a long and warm summer. The yearly average temperature is approximately 15 degrees. 

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The tropical zone

The tropical zone is located near the equator. This geographical zone includes most of Central America and Southern America between the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. There are no regions belonging to the tropical zone in Europe.

A large part of Africa is located in the tropical zone. The climate of the tropical zone is characterized by an endless summer. The sun shines throughout the year, and there is no variation between seasons.