Latitude and Climate

Read the latitude, decide whether it is low or high, connect it with direct or slanting rays, then infer warmer or cooler climate.

A latitude-zone diagram can show tropical zone near the equator, temperate zones in middle latitudes, and polar zones near the poles.

Higher latitude always means hot climate because it is higher on the map. This is wrong because map position is not the cause; sunlight angle is the cause.

Latitude is the angular distance of a place north or south of the equator, and it strongly affects climate by controlling the angle and intensity of sunlight received.

Latitude is the angular distance of a place north or south of the equator, and it strongly affects climate by controlling the angle and intensity of sunlight received. Rule: as latitude generally increases from equator to poles, average temperature tends to decrease because sunlight becomes more slanting. Singapore, near the equator, is warm throughout the year, while places near the Arctic Circle remain much colder for long periods.

Low latitudes near the equator usually have warmer climates because they receive more direct sunlight. Higher latitudes receive slanting sunlight and are generally cooler. This creates broad climate zones such as tropical, temperate, and polar regions. Rule: as latitude generally increases from equator to poles, average temperature tends to decrease because sunlight becomes more slanting. A city at 5 degrees north latitude is likely to be warmer than a city at 60 degrees north latitude because the first receives more direct solar rays for most of the year. Questions may compare two cities at different latitudes and ask which one has a warmer climate and why. Higher latitude always means hot climate because it is higher on the map. This is wrong because map position is not the cause; sunlight angle is the cause.