climate is the set of weather conditions that identify a region. These are the characteristics that define an environment, such as the temperature of the seasons of the year, the amount of rain, wind, species of vegetation and animals.
There are ten types of climate in the world: temperate, equatorial, tropical, subtropical, Mediterranean, cold, mountain cold, polar, semiarid and desert.
1. seasoned
The temperate climate is characterized by having the four seasons of the year well defined. During the summer, temperatures are high (with an average of 18 degrees) and in the winter they are low (with maximum temperatures of around 5 degrees).
Autumn has milder temperatures compared to winter and spring has warmer temperatures that prepare for the arrival of summer. Rains are well distributed throughout the year and can reach 2000 millimeters per year.
Flora and fauna
The flora of the temperate climate is mainly composed of tall trees, such as araucarias, which form the temperate forests. There are also areas of plains, with a kind of low vegetation called prairie.
In the temperate forest, during autumn, the leaves of the trees change color, leaving the landscape in reddish and yellowish tones.
As the seasons of the year are well defined, the fauna of the temperate climate is quite diverse. Some animals that represent the temperate climate fauna are opossums, owls, wolves, wild boars and bats.
Araucarias are one of the typical trees of the temperate climate.
Location
In Brazil, the temperate climate occurs in the southern region of the country, which covers the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
It is also the climate of part of Argentina and Australia, as well as many countries on the European continent and Asia.
2. Equatorial
The equatorial climate has high temperatures and high humidity throughout the year, with heavy rainfall in all seasons. It is common for the amount of rain to exceed 2000 millimeters per year.
Furthermore, the thermal amplitude is small, that is, the difference between maximum and minimum temperatures is small. The annual average is around 26 degrees, with minimums of 18 degrees and maximums of 35.
Flora and fauna
THE equatorial forest it is the biome that best represents this climate, formed mainly by diverse vegetation with large trees. The typical species of the equatorial forest are well adapted to humid environments.
The soil is equally moist, formed by layers of remains from the decaying process of animals, leaves from trees and plants.
The fauna of the equatorial climate is animals that are well adapted to the humid environments of forests, such as frogs, monkeys, toucan parrots, jaguars and a wide variety of insects.
The Amazon Forest is the largest equatorial forest in the world, with about 5 million and 500 thousand km2.
Location
The equatorial climate is characteristic of places closer to the Equator and covers some regions of all. the continents such as Congo, Uganda, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Colombia, Malaysia and Indonesia and Australia.
In Brazil, it occurs in the states of Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Maranhão, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins.
See more details about the equatorial climate.
3. Tropical
In the tropical climate there are not many differences between the seasons. Therefore, the temperature is also not very variable and the averages are high, around 20 degrees.
Although the seasons are not well defined, the tropical climate has two seasons that differ by the amount of rain: a very dry period (dry tropical climate) and a rainy period (tropical climate humid). The amount of rain can reach 3000 millimeters in one year.
Flora and fauna
The tropical climate has two types of predominant vegetation, which vary according to the region and the amount of local humidity. Vegetation can be drier - called savanna - or typical of wetter climates, such as Amazon rainforest.
This climate has a diversity of animals, such as fish, birds, jaguars, toucans, macaws, monkeys, sloths and insects.
The African savanna represents the vegetation of the tropical climate.
Location
This climate is characteristic of a part of Brazil, mainly the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Goiás and Ceará.
Worldwide, the tropical climate occurs in regions of Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Cuba, Venezuela, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Madagascar, Angola, Congo and Kenya.
Learn more about savanna it's the tropical weather.
4. Subtropical
The subtropical climate has some similarities to the tropical one. It has the four seasons of the year well defined, being the dry summer with high temperatures and the dry winter, but with low temperatures. The annual temperature is 20 degrees.
The amount of rain is well distributed throughout the year and does not usually exceed the average of 1000 millimeters per year.
Flora and fauna
The vegetation is formed by tall trees and subtropical forests can have different vegetation, according to the region and local rainfall index, which also influences the type of vegetation found.
Araucaria forests are typical, mainly in the higher areas, and bamboo also thrives in some regions. In other regions smaller species such as herbaceous and mosses can be found.
In Rio Grande do Sul and in part of Uruguay and Argentina this climate is represented by the Pampa, formed by small shrubs and creeping species.
The subtropical fauna is quite diverse and is home to species such as frogs, jaguars, alligators, snakes, fish, anteaters, capybaras and cattle.
The Pampa is the biome of the subtropical climate in southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
Location
In Brazil, it occurs mainly in the southern states of the country and also in part of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.
Outside the country, it is also typical of countries like Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, India, New Zealand and Australia.
Read more about the subtropical climate and meet the pampa.
5. Mediterranean (Mediterranean)
The Mediterranean climate is characterized by seasons of the year with very varied temperatures and rainfall poorly distributed over the months, with annual averages of approximately 1000 millimeters.
Summers are quite hot and dry, with average temperatures of 20 degrees. Winter is quite rainy, with low temperatures that can reach 1°C in some places.
In regions closer to the sea the humidity levels are quite high, the annual average is between 70% and 80%.
Flora and fauna
The vegetation of the Mediterranean climate is represented by the Mediterranean forests and by species resistant to the heat and low humidity of the Mediterranean summer. It is composed of small trees or low-lying species, such as olive trees, vines, lavender and cedar.
These are typical animals of this climate: reptiles, deer, foxes, hares, squirrels, owls, snakes and rabbits. There is also a great diversity of birds and insects.
Olive trees are typical trees in the Mediterranean climate.
Location
The Mediterranean climate occurs in the regions that lie between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. It predominates in places bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, mainly in North Africa and southern Europe. Morocco, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Algeria and Tunisia are some countries with a Mediterranean climate.
Brazil does not have any region with characteristics of the Mediterranean climate.
6. Cold (subpolar)
The cold climate is characterized by two well-defined seasons during the year: summer and winter. Summer is usually mild, with low temperatures that do not usually exceed the average of 10 degrees.
Winter is very cold and temperatures easily reach below freezing and therefore snow formation is common.
Rains are not very frequent and usually do not exceed 1000 millimeters throughout the year.
Flora and fauna
The most typical vegetation in a cold climate are conifers, tall species that are very resistant to the cold. The forest in this region is called boreal or alpine.
As temperatures are very low, vegetation diversity is lower, as few species are resistant to long and harsh winters.
The boreal forest is one of the most common vegetation found in the subpolar climate.
Location
The subpolar climate happens only in the most extreme regions, in places close to the Arctic Circle. Countries like Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Greenland and some regions of Canada, the United States (Alaska) and Russia have this climate.
7. Mountain cold
This type of climate is characterized by wide variation between minimum and maximum temperatures. Temperature variation is governed by altitude, temperatures are lower in areas with higher altitude.
In winter, snow formation always takes place and recorded temperatures are negative. In the higher regions, snow tends not to melt year-round, regardless of the temperature.
Usually the amount of rain does not pass 1500 millimeters per year.
Flora and fauna
As in other cold regions, the vegetation in this region is basically composed of trees resistant to intense cold (such as conifers) and low-lying, moist vegetation (such as mosses).
The higher the altitude, the smaller the amount of vegetation found and in the higher regions there is no vegetation.
Some animals that are adapted to high altitudes and the cold are deer, bears, llamas and snow leopards. Llamas originate from the Andes and leopards from the Asian continent.
The cold mountain climate occurs in the Himalayas region.
Location
The cold mountain climate is typical of mountainous regions, where altitudes are higher. It occurs in some European, Asian, South American countries and part of the United States. Swiss Alps, Himalayas, Pyrenees and Andes Mountains are cold mountain regions.
8. Polar
The most striking feature of the polar climate is the extremely low temperatures. In the winter period, the average temperature is 30 degrees below zero, and it can be even lower at times.
In summer, temperatures are also low, usually not exceeding 5 degrees.
Rain is very scarce in the polar climate and annual averages do not usually exceed the 150 millimeters mark.
Antarctica is a region with a polar climate.
Location
The polar climate occurs in regions that are located in the Arctic Circle, such as Alaska, Greenland and Antarctica.
Learn more about polar weather.
9. semiarid
The semiarid climate has high temperatures and low humidity, with a thermal sensation of heat and dry air. The thermal variation is not very large and average temperatures are around 28 degrees.
Rainfall rates are low and uneven throughout the year, being more common in the first half. The average rainfall does not usually exceed 750 millimeters per year. In Brazil the rains are more abundant when compared to other countries with the same climate.
Flora and fauna
The typical semiarid vegetation is made up of Cerrado and Caatinga areas. The trees are small and the vegetation is poorly developed, due to the absence of rain and excessive heat. Cacti and grasses are species found in these regions.
The soil in semiarid areas also suffers from the consequences of the climate and, therefore, is not rich in nutrients, that is, it is not fertile for agriculture.
The fauna is made up of animals that are well adapted to the climate, such as some species of amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Frogs, snakes, jaguars, deer, monkeys and wolves are some of the animals that live in the semiarid climate.
Cacti are the most common species in the semiarid climate.
Learn more about Caatinga it's the thick.
Location
The semiarid climate is common in areas with high temperatures throughout the year or in regions with well-defined winters and summers. In Brazil, it mainly covers the Northeast region, more common in part of Piauí, Alagoas, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Ceará, Sergipe and Rio Grande do Norte.
It also occurs in some parts of North America and some countries in South America and Africa.
10. desert
The desert climate is characterized by a large thermal amplitude, that is, a great difference between the minimum and maximum temperatures. Heat has very high temperatures and cold ones have very low temperatures.
Thermal amplitude can happen in the same day, with high temperatures during the day and excessively low temperatures at night. In the same day, temperatures can vary up to 45 degrees.
The rainfall index is quite low and annual rainfall averages do not exceed 250 millimeters for a year. As a result, the relative humidity of the air is also very low, being less than 10% for most of the year.
Flora and fauna
The desert climate has little vegetation variety, as the climate is not favorable for plant development. Few species are adapted to survival in conditions as variable as these, with cacti and small shrubs being the most common types.
The soil is nutrient-poor and very dry, due to the heat and humidity levels, which are very low. Therefore, the sandy soil is not fertile.
The fauna is also not diverse, as there are few animals adapted to this climate. Insects and some types of reptiles are animals that can survive in the desert climate.
The Sahara Desert, which extends over more than ten countries on the African continent, is a region with a desert climate.
Location
This climate occurs in regions close to the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, such as parts of Africa, Asia, the United States, Chile, Peru and Australia. The Sahara, Namibia and Atacama Deserts are some examples of this type of climate.
Read more about the meaning of climate and the Brazil climates.