World Climate Regions
Summer
Winter
Climate Region
Location
Rainfall
Vegetation
Tropical
Rainforest
Around Equator
Amazon basin,
Africa (Congo),
SE Asia
Around TRF,
(Serengeti Plain
in Africa)
80° year round
Humid
80° year round
Humid
80 inches
Lush rainforest,
trees, vines
Wet
Hot year round
Dry
Hot year round
30-50” in
summer; <4” in
winter
scattered trees,
bushes
N. Africa, Asia,
Aust, W US
(Sahara, Gobi)
Hot days, cool
nights
Dry
Hot days, cool
nights
Dry
Maximum of 10
inches
Scrub and cacti
Eastern Europe
to Central Asia,
AKA Semi Arid N Africa (Sahel)
Hot days, cool
nights
Dry
Hot days, cool
nights
Dry
10-20 inches
Scrub and cacti,
grassland
Marine West
Coast
mostly w. coasts
(Wash/Oregon,
S. Amer, Africa)
Cool summers
Damp winters
Abundant, ~50”,
most in winter
Coniferous &
deciduous
forests
Mediterranean
Coastal midlatitudes, S.
Cali., S Europe
Hot, sunny
summers
Mild, rainy
winters
~40”, most in
winter
Chaparral
(bushes, short
trees)
Humid
Subtropical
SE USA, SE
China, Southern
S. America
High humidity
Long, hot
summers
High humidity
Short, mild
winters
Year round
Grasslands,
Mixed forests
(mostly
deciduous
Humid
Continental
Southern
Canada, Russia,
NE USA, NE
China
Right below the
Arctic Circle
(Canada, Russia)
Cooler, shorter
summers
More severe
winters
More
precipitation
(snow) as move
north
15-20”
Mixed forests,
(mostly
coniferous)
(down to -40°)
Constant dark,
Bitter winters
10-15”, mostly
snow
Small brush,
lichens,
permafrost
Below freezing
year round
<10” (polar
desert)
Only lichens
(algae)
Varies with
region, rain
shadow effect
Forests @
bottom,
meadows &
small trees
closer to top
until timberline
Tropical
Savannah
AKA Wet and
Dry
Desert
AKA Arid
Steppe
Subarctic
Tundra
Ice Cap
Highlands
Short and cool
Bitter winters
summers
Widest temperature range
(up to 70°)
Between the
Constant light,
Arctic Circle and but no heat
Poles (Canada,
(can get up to
Russia)
50°)
Polar regions
Below freezing
(Greenland,
year round
Antarctica)
Mountains
(Andes,
Himalayas,
Rockies, Alps)
Temperature varies with elevation;
the higher the elevation, the colder
the temperature (drops 3.5° per
1,000 ft.)
Needled
evergreens,
scrub