WHAT ARE THE CLIMATIC REGIONS OF AMERICA? - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The climatic regions of America range between cold, temperate and warm climates. The territorial extension of America makes it host a large number of climates that affect its ecosystems and both plant and animal life, as well as the way in which human beings have adapted to the continent.

The presence of Ecuador is a fundamental factor of division that allows a better notion about the distribution of climatic regions in America. The main factors that influence the climate are altitude, latitude and proximity to the sea.

Because the Americas are mostly latitudinal, this is the most important factor in understanding climate behavior.

America has the peculiarity of having all the climatic zones of the planet, which makes it one of the most biodiverse continents throughout its territory.

It is not surprising that the nations that make up the American continent have so much climatic and biological variety in different regions of their same territories.

Map of the Americas from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification

• Af: equatorial climate
• Am: monsoon climate
• Aw: tropical savanna climate
• BWh: hot desert climate
• Bwk: cold desert climate
• Bsh: semi-arid warm climate
• Bsk: semi-arid cold climate
• Csa: warm Mediterranean climate
• Csb: temperate Mediterranean climate
• Cwa: humid subtropical climate
• Cwb: humid subtropical climate / highland oceanic subtropical climate
• Cwc: oceanic subpolar climate
• Cfa: warm oceanic climate / humid subtropical climate
• Cfb: temperate oceanic climate
• Cfc: cool ocean climate
• Dsa: warm continental climate / Mediterranean continental climate
• Dsb: temperate continental climate / Mediterranean continental climate
• Dsc: cool continental climate
• Dsd: cold continental climate
• Dwa: warm continental climate / humid continental climate
• Dwb: temperate continental climate / humid continental climate
• Dwc: cold continental climate / sub-arctic climate
• Dwd: cold continental climate / sub-arctic climate
• Dfa: warm continental climate / humid continental climate
• Dfb: temperate continental climate / humid continental climate
• Dfc: cold continental climate / sub-arctic climate
• Dfd: cold continental climate / sub-arctic climate
• ET: tundra climate
• EF: ice sheet climate.

Climatic regions of America

-Warm weather

The regions of warm climate in America extend between what is known as the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, two parallels of the planet located in the Northern Hemisphere; that is to say, north of the Equator. This region covers the territories of Central America and part of South America.

This region has high annual average temperatures, being a region considered hot most of the year. It is not a region that can be classified by common seasons (spring, summer, winter, etc.), and its level of rainfall is uneven throughout the year.

In this region the climatic phenomenon can be divided into two: a season of greater heat and one of greater humidity, where the precipitations have greater force; however, the latter varies according to the conditions of each territory.

In relation to this, the hot climate region can be divided into hot equatorial, hot tropical and desert.

Equatorial warm

This type of climate is found on both sides of Ecuador, coinciding with what is known as the plain and the Amazon rainforest.

It is characterized by presenting an average temperature above 25 ° C; a permanent state of relative warmth. In some of its areas, rainfall is considered excessive, presenting high levels of humidity.

Warm tropical

It occurs in areas such as the Gulf of Mexico, northern Argentina and Chile, and southern Brazil. It has warm summer seasons and mild winters. The tropical forest is the most common plant manifestation of this climatic subregion.

Hot desert

This climatic manifestation is common in the hot region of the continent, but it can present variables, between temperate and arid desert.

The latter is typical of the warm region, found in subtropical areas of North America and part of South America. They present highly elevated temperatures during great part of the year.

-Mild weather

The temperate climate region of the American continent extends between the parallel lines of the Tropics of Cancer and Carpicorn and the beginning of the polar circles, both north and south of America.

Those belonging to this region are considered intermediate latitudes, because they are neither in the extremes closest to the Equator, nor in the extremes closest to the Arctic.

The region of temperate climates usually present moderate average temperatures, and more perceptible changes during the different moments of the year.

The main quality that differentiates the different areas of temperate climates lies in their proximity to the sea. This is why the temperate region is usually subdivided into a temperate continental climate and a temperate oceanic climate.

Continental temperate climate

In America this climate includes areas belonging to the interior and north of the United States and Canada, mainly.

It is characterized by its marked differences in temperature between summer and winter; in other words, very hot summers and very cold winters, reaching temperatures below freezing.

It is a climatic subregion much more typical of the northern hemisphere. In some regions of South America, such as southern Brazil and the interior of Argentina, it can be stated that they have a climate with continental characteristics, although more inclined towards the tropical.

The main quality of the temperate continental climate is that it manifests itself in areas that are considerably far from large bodies of water, thus affecting territorial bodies. Apart from being a subdivision in itself, the continental temperate climate has other subcategories that allow a better classification.

Of those present in America, we can mention the humid continental temperate climate, common in the United States and Canada, it presents low average temperatures and a lower incidence of rainfall; and the continentalized Mediterranean climate, present in areas such as the interior of Argentina and the Central Valley of Chile.

Temperate oceanic climate

More common in the southern hemisphere, and present in the portions of territory closest to maritime and oceanic bodies. It presents summers of certain freshness and cold winters, although not extreme. Rainfall is common, and is considered well distributed annually, although with a greater incidence towards winter.

It is the most common climatic subregion in areas such as Brazil, Argentina and Chile, as well as the Andean areas of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

-Cold weather

It is the climatic region located at the ends of the globe, in the polar circles. It manifests itself much more in North America because the territory is much closer to the North Pole.

On the other hand, its presence in the extreme south of America is only perceptible in the southernmost areas of the continent, due to the distance and a greater maritime presence between the continent and the South Pole.

Annually it presents constant low temperatures. Although there are summers, they are usually very short, giving way to very long winters that last almost the whole year.

References

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