The Tropic of Cancer spans 3 continents, covering 16 countries in total. Among them we have Mexico and India. Next, we will know the natural regions that the Tropic of Cancer crosses in both countries.
The Tropic of Cancer is an imaginary circle drawn around the earth's sphere, parallel to the equator. It is located in the northern hemisphere of the planet, at a latitude of 23º 26 ′ 14 ″ 1 north of the Equator.
This fictitious line indicates the northernmost points at which the Sun reaches its zenith (point located on the vertical of the observer). This phenomenon takes place during the June solstice, between June 20 and 21 of each year.
In Mexico, the Tropic of Cancer crosses the following states: Tamaulipas, San Luis de Potosí, Zacatecas, Durango and Sinaloa. With this, it demarcates areas of subtropical forest, savanna, steppes, deserts and temperate forests.
In general, the climate in the Mexican territory can be classified as tropical and temperate, since between 50% and 60% of the solar rays fall on the surface of the ground.
Therefore, two very different thermal zones are distinguished: to the North of the Tropic of Cancer there is a temperate climate; that is, arid and semi-arid.
In contrast, south of the Tropic of Cancer the climate is predominantly humid and semi-humid, with winds and cyclones coming from the tropics.
In India, the imaginary Tropic of Cancer line divides the country into two roughly equal sections, clearly demarcating the northern and southern parts of the country.
The Tropic of Cancer route starts from Gujarat, on the west coast, and runs through the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.
This implies the presence of mountain ranges, savannas, jungles, grasslands, steppes and deserts.
With the exception of the more mountainous regions, the incidence of the Tropic of Cancer on the Indian territory means that in this country the humid intertropical and subtropical climate prevails.
In the southern part of India, the dry tropical climate prevails, which is characterized by the presence of two climatic poles.
Torrential rains and droughts usually occur, given the thermal variations that occur in the air layers.
This phenomenon induces changes in atmospheric pressure that lead to strong torrentials in spring and summer, when the heat wave is greatest.
Because Mexico and India are at a comparable distance from Ecuador, both countries have similar hot climates.
However, the Sierras Madre that cross the Mexican territory from north to south, cool the environment, due to the height of the terrain, which represents a differentiating agent between both nations.
This phenomenon favors the presence of a cold and serene climate, where temperate forests grow, which provides Mexico with a greater variety of fauna and flora in a smaller area of territory.
References
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- Hernández, J (2003). Status of the biological diversity of trees and forests in Northern Mexico. Forest Department - FAO. Rome Italy. Recovered from: fao.org
- Maps Online Blog (2017). Indian States - Passing through Tropic of Cancer and borders with the Foreigner. Recovered from: mobes.info
- Rajkumari, A (2017). Tropic of Cancer. Bollywood, India. Recovered from: masaladabbaindia.net
- Rodríguez, M, Aranda, M, Encizo, M, and Ledezma A (2008). Geographical situation of Mexico. Mexico DF, Mexico. Recovered from: pps.k12.or.us
- Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). Tropic of Cancer. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.or.