Africa climate zones. Climate zones of Africa Climate zones of West Africa

15.03.2020

On both sides of the equator largely determines the climate of this corner of the globe. It is located mainly in the tropics, because the cold weather characteristic of temperate latitudes is not here. But at the same time, the climatic zones of Africa, which diverge from the equator to the north and south, cannot be compared with each other. The structure of the mainland is such that in the two hemispheres the same zone has its own characteristics. And in order to learn the local weather and its characteristics, the article presents the belts of Africa and their brief description.

Geographical position of the continent

Africa is the second largest continent in the world after Eurasia. It is washed by two oceans - the Atlantic and Indian, a few seas and straits. The geological structure of these lands is such that their width is greater in and less in the south. This partly affects which climatic zones in Africa are formed in one or another of its regions. It also largely affects the local relief, the presence of flora and fauna. For example, in the northern part, where all the lands are covered with impenetrable sands, as you yourself understand, there are a minimum of plants and animals. But to the south, where there are tropical rainforests or even savannas, the animal and plant world is richer, it appears before us in all its African originality and uniqueness.

Short description, table

The climatic zones of Africa begin with the equatorial.

At zero latitude, the wettest continent is located, where the maximum amount of precipitation falls - more than 2000 mm per year.
It is followed by the subequatorial strip, where the amount of precipitation and natural wealth is reduced. No more than 1500 mm of moisture falls here annually.
The tropical climate zone is the largest region of the continent. Depending on the hemisphere, the amount of precipitation here can range from 300 to as little as 50 mm per year.
covers the edge of the coast in the north of the mainland and a corner located in South Africa, in the very south. Both there and there it is always windy and humid. In winter, temperatures drop by 7 degrees, compared with summer figures. Rainfall is estimated at 500 mm per year.

Equatorial latitudes

Listing all the climatic zones of Africa, special attention should be paid to the equatorial zone, since on this mainland it is considered the most unique, wettest and most prolific in terms of agriculture. It is located, of course, along zero latitude, and covers such states as the Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Ghana, Guinea, Benin, Cameroon and others adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea. A feature of the equatorial climate is that closer to the east it becomes drier, but in the western parts of the land the maximum amount of precipitation falls.

subequatorial zone

Africa is located in climatic zones that are characterized by hot temperatures, and a large part of its territory is occupied by subtropics. Here it is a little drier than at the equator, the jungle and evergreen forests turn into savannahs. A feature of this belt is that in summer equatorial winds blow here, which bring rain and often fog to the region. In winter, tropical trade winds are observed, which are drier and very hot, as a result of which the amount of rain decreases and the air temperature rises. In North Africa, the subequatorial belt covers such countries as Mali, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, etc. In the southern part of the continent, these are Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, Zambia Mozambique.

Tropics. Dry and windy

As the table above has already shown us, it is difficult to imagine the climatic zones of Africa without the tropics, which occupy most of the continent. Their widest strip stretched in the northern part of the mainland, covering the Sahara desert and all nearby countries. These are Egypt, the northern territories of Chad, Sudan, and Mali, as well as Mauritania, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and many others. The amount of precipitation here is minimal - about 50 mm per year. The whole territory is covered with sands, blown by dry trade winds. Often there are sandstorms. Among the animals inhabiting the Sahara, insects and reptiles are more common, which get out of the dunes only at night. In the Southern Hemisphere, the tropics also fall on the Kalahari Desert region. The climate here is very similar to the north, but is characterized by a large amount of precipitation and a less sharp daily change in temperature.

Subtropical areas

In conclusion, consider the extreme climatic zones of Africa - subtropical. They occupy the smallest part of the continent both in the north and in the south, therefore they have little effect on the overall weather picture. So, in the northern part of the mainland, this zone extends as a thin strip along the Mediterranean coast. Only the highest points of Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, which are washed by the waves of this sea, fall into it. A feature of the local climate is that in winter winds blow from the west, bringing moisture. Due to this, it is during the cold season that the maximum amount of precipitation falls here - about 500 mm. In summer, the winds change to tropical trade winds, which bring heat, drought and even sand from the Sahara. It does not rain at all, the temperature rises to a maximum. In the Southern Hemisphere, weather conditions are similar. The only feature is that it is a narrow cape, which is washed on all sides by the ocean. Evaporated moisture makes the air humid throughout the year, and precipitation falls here not only in winter, but also in all other seasons.

Madagascar and the Cape Verde Islands

The climatic zones of Africa cover not only the continent itself, but also the islands that belong to it - mainland and volcanic. To the east, beyond the waters of the Mozabic Strait, lies Madagascar. It falls into two climatic zones at once - subequatorial and tropical. True, both here are not as dry as in Africa itself. Rains happen often, and the whole island is literally immersed in evergreens and palm trees. lie in the Atlantic, west of the Gulf of Guinea. Here the climate is subequatorial, humid, but at the same time very windy. Precipitation falls evenly throughout the year.

Conclusion

We have just briefly reviewed all the climatic zones of Africa. Grade 7 is the period when children get acquainted with the natural areas and climate of our planet. It is important that the child during this period does not miss anything and can quickly figure out which zone we live in, which are located to the south, and which, on the contrary, go north. This will broaden his horizons and allow him to better navigate in geography.

Africa has unique climatic conditions. Since the continent crosses the equator, except for the equatorial belt, all other climatic zones are repeated.

equatorial belt of africa

The equatorial belt of the African continent is located in the Gulf of Guinea. Here the air is warm and the climate is humid. The temperature maximum reaches +28 degrees Celsius, and approximately the same temperature is above +20 degrees all year round. Rainfall is more than 2000 mm per year, which is distributed relatively evenly throughout the territory.

On both sides of the equator there are two subequatorial zones. The summer season is humid and warm with a maximum of +28 degrees, and the winter is dry. Depending on the seasons, air currents also change: equatorial wet and dry tropical. This climatic zone has long and short rainy seasons, but the total annual precipitation does not exceed 400 mm.

tropical zone

Most of the mainland lies in the tropical zone. The air mass here is continental, and under its influence deserts were formed in the Sahara and in the south. There is practically no precipitation and the air humidity is negligible. It may rain once every few years. During the day, the air temperature is very high, and at night the degrees can drop below 0. A strong wind almost always blows, which can destroy crops and activate sandstorms. A small area in the southeast of the mainland has a tropical humid climate with a significant amount of precipitation that falls all year round.

Table of climatic zones of Africa

The extreme territories of the continent are located in the subtropical zone. The average temperature is +20 degrees with noticeable seasonal fluctuations. The southwestern and northern part of the mainland lies in the Mediterranean type zone. In winter, precipitation falls in this area, and summers are dry. Humid climate with regular rainfall throughout the year formed in the southeast of the mainland.

Africa is the only continent that is located on both sides of the equator, which has influenced the formation of unique climatic conditions. So on the mainland there is one equatorial belt, and two subequatorial, tropical and subtropical belts. It is much hotter here than on other continents with similar climatic zones. These climatic conditions have influenced the formation of a unique nature in Africa.

In what climate zones is Africa located and got the best answer

Answer from Elizabet[guru]
Climate zones of Africa

The equatorial climate belt is almost entirely surrounded by the subequatorial climate belt (equatorial monsoon climate), covering Sudan, East Africa and northern South Africa up to the Zambezi River. The Abyssinian highlands and the high peaks of East Africa, located in the belt of this climate, are characterized by a clearly pronounced vertical climatic zonality (up to winter-nival in the Abyssinian Highlands and constantly nival in Kilimanjaro, Kenya, Rwenzori, etc.). The Abyssinian highlands are distinguished, in addition, by a sharp expositional difference in the climate of the western and eastern slopes.

The northern and southern boundaries of the subequatorial climate are determined by the summer (for each subcontinent) position of the tropical front. During the year, summer wet and winter dry seasons alternate here, and temperatures fluctuate noticeably due to the change of humid and hot equatorial air (in summer) and dry and very hot continental tropical air (in winter). This type of climate covers about 1/3 (almost 10 million km2) of Africa. The alternation of summer rains and winter drought is even more pronounced on the African continent than in India, therefore Africa can be called the country of classical equatorial monsoons with more reason than India.

Tropical (trade wind) climate belts are located in both parts of the continent to the south and north of the equator, between the winter position of the polar front and the summer position of the tropical front. Deserts occupy a total of almost half the area of the mainland, and for this reason Africa is rightly called the classic area of desert development. This climate is characterized by the constant dominance of continental tropical air, great dryness of the air and high, especially summer, temperatures.

The largest area of the desert is occupied in the northern part of the mainland, where the world's largest desert, the Sahara, lies.

In the southern part of Africa, desert landscapes are limited by the southwestern region of the Kalahari and a narrow strip of coast, where, by analogy with the Atlantic region of the Sahara, the climate of a trade-wind oceanic desert is distinguished with a predominance of marine tropical air (in descending currents of the eastern periphery of the oceanic pressure maximum).

In the rest of the tropical belt of South Africa, in the continental sector (between Zambezi and Orange), the climate is arid to semi-arid, with thermal convection summer precipitation. Along the east coast, in the tropical zone, the climate is maritime, trade winds, with a summer maximum of precipitation.

The extreme north and south of the mainland lie in subtropical climate zones with seasonal changes in air masses (sea tropical air in summer, sea air of temperate latitudes in winter) The Atlas Mountains, the coast of Libya and the United Arab Republic and the southwestern outskirts of South Africa have a Mediterranean variety of this climate winter cyclonic precipitation, on the southeastern outskirts of South Africa - monsoonal subtropics with a summer maximum of precipitation.

Answer from Luda[active]
equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical

Answer from human[newbie]
(equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical)

Answer from Anya[active]
robe belt!

Africa almost in the middle is crossed by the equator, therefore, in its northern and southern parts climatic zones, with the exception of the equatorial one, are repeated (Fig. 61). Two stand out subequatorial, two tropical and two subtropical belts.

equatorial belt covers a narrow coastal strip along the Gulf of Guinea and the Congo depression. Warm and humid equatorial air masses predominate in this belt throughout the year, so there is one type of climate here - equatorial. The temperature here is high throughout the year and reaches +26 ... 28 °С. The total annual precipitation is over 2000 mm, and they are distributed evenly throughout the year.

Subequatorial climatic zones with their characteristic subequatorial type of climate located on both sides of the equatorial belt, approximately up to a latitude of 15-20 °. Here, during the year, there is also a high temperature (+25 ... 28 ° C), but the alternation of summer wet and winter dry periods is clearly visible. This is due to the change in the types of air masses depending on the seasons. In summer, equatorial humid air mass dominates here, in winter - dry tropical.

Climate on both sides of the equator. There are two rainy periods in the annual cycle of the subequatorial belts. Locals call them "long rains" and "short rains". They are separated by two winter dry periods. To the north and south of the equator, dry periods lengthen, precipitation decreases and becomes less and less regular. The annual rainfall shown on the map is in fact little true, as a place that is reported to receive 380 mm of annual rainfall can reach this figure in a few years.

tropical belts occupy the largest area on the mainland. During the year, a continental tropical air mass dominates here. Under its influence in the Sahara, as well as in South Africa, an area is formed tropical continental (desert) type of climate.

The Sahara is located in the zone of descending air movements and dry trade winds of the Northern Hemisphere. This is mainly due to a small amount of precipitation and low relative humidity. The sky here is mostly cloudless, but its color is almost never transparent blue, because the smallest dust hangs in the air. Precipitation is extremely irregular. It happens that for several years not a single drop of rain reaches the surface of the earth. High daytime and low night air temperatures, as well as its significant dryness, as well as dust storms, adversely affect a person's stay in the desert.

In the Sahara, the wind wakes up and goes to bed with the sun. Winds play a significant role in desert life. Here, on average, out of 100 days, only six are calm. Hot winds in the north of the Sahara have a bad reputation. They blow from the center of the desert and can destroy crops within hours. Strong winds (simums) cause dust and sand storms. Wind speed during a storm reaches 50 m/s. A mass of sand and small pebbles rises into the air. Storms begin and fade suddenly, leaving behind clouds of dry, slowly settling dust "fog".

A region is being formed in southeastern Africa tropical humid climate with a lot of rainfall throughout the year. material from the site

The extreme north and south of Africa are located in subtropical climatic zones. The average annual temperature here is around 20°C, but it fluctuates markedly from season to season. Depending on the amount of precipitation in the subtropical zones, two climatic regions are distinguished. In the north and southwest of Africa, the area predominates mediterranean climate type(characteristic of the Mediterranean coast, hence the name). Precipitation in this area falls mainly in winter, summer, on the contrary, is dry. (Remember how this is explained.) In the southeast of the mainland, the region dominates subtropical humid climate with uniform moisture. Under the influence of the trade winds, precipitation is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.

Africa is located in the equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical climatic zones.
In the equatorial and subequatorial climatic zones, one type of climate prevails.
In the tropical climatic zone, tropical continental and tropical humid climate types are distinguished, and in the subtropical zone, Mediterranean and subtropical humid climate types.

On this page, material on the topics:

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location of africa climate zones
Table of climate zones of Africa n.p.s.p.

The article contains information about the climatic zones of the continent. Forms an idea of the features of the geographical location.

Climate zones of Africa

The characteristic features of the continental climate are determined by the orientation of most of it in the latitudes of the equator and the tropics.

At elevated temperatures of air masses, the climatic difference of individual regions depends on the amount of precipitation and the duration of the rainy season.

Rice. 1. Zonality of climatic zones of the mainland.

Large areas of the continent regularly need moisture. The mainland is characterized by the transfer of air from the tropics by the trade winds. The height of the banks prevents the entry of wet winds.

Western territories located in the latitudes of the tropics are dominated by cool currents.

Table "Climatic zones of Africa"

*natural area*	*Climate*	*The soil*	*Flora*	*Fauna*
Hardwood evergreen forests and shrubs	Mediterranean	Brown	Holm oak, jujube, wild olive	Leopards, zebras, antelopes
Semi-deserts and deserts	Tropical	Desert, sandy, rocky	Acacias, saltworts, spurges, thickets of thorny bushes	Scorpions, beetles, turtles, locusts, snake hedgehogs, jerboas
	subequatorial	Red, iron-containing	Baobabs, cereals, palm trees	Giraffes, buffaloes, lions, gazelles, elephants, antelopes, rhinos, zebras
Variable-moist, moist forests	equatorial, subequatorial	Red-yellow, iron-containing	Ficuses, ceiba, bananas, coffee	Gorillas, chimpanzees, termites, parrots, okapis, leopards

Rice. 3. Mainland fauna.

To get an idea of the climatic zones in which Africa is located, it is necessary to understand that the mainland is cut by the contour of the equator. The zonation of climatic zones starts here from the equatorial one.

At zero latitude lies the wettest continental natural region. The area accounts for the maximum amount of precipitation. Over two thousand mm. in year. Then follows the subequatorial belt. Here, the level of precipitation is significantly reduced. During the calendar year, about one and a half thousand mm of precious moisture falls.

The tropical belt, among others, is a significant area of the continent.

Regarding orientation to the hemisphere, the level of precipitation can vary: from three hundred to fifty mm. in a year.

The subtropical climatic zone captures only the edge of the coast in the northern part of the mainland and the "corner" that belongs to the southern part of South Africa.

It is windy and humid here all year round. In winter, the temperature can drop by about 7°. The total amount of precipitation does not exceed five hundred mm. in year.

What have we learned?

We found out in which climatic zones the continent lies. Determine what factors affect the climate of Africa. We learned in which climatic zone of Africa the greatest and least amount of precipitation falls.

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