Climate in humid equatorial forests. Natural zone of humid equatorial forests Climatic conditions of equatorial forests of Africa

In the very center of Africa, in the basin of the great African Congo River, north and south of the equator line and along the shores of the Gulf of Guinea, there are humid equatorial forests of Africa. The forest zone is located in the equatorial climate zone. It is hot and humid here all year round. Usually in the morning the weather is hot and clear. The sun rises higher and bakes more and more. As the temperature rises, evaporation increases. It becomes damp and stuffy, like in a greenhouse. In the afternoon, cumulus clouds appear in the sky and merge into heavy lead clouds. The first drops fell, and a violent thunderstorm broke out. It rains for an hour or two, sometimes more. Rushing streams of rainwater rush through the forest. Countless streams merge into wide rivers. By evening the weather clears up again. And so almost every day from year to year.

There is an abundance of water everywhere. The air is saturated with moisture, plants and soil are saturated with water. Vast areas are swampy or subject to flooding. The abundance of heat and moisture favors the lush development of dense evergreen woody vegetation. Plant life in the equatorial forests never stops. Trees bloom, bear fruit, shed old foliage and put on new ones throughout the year.

Eternal twilight reigns under the multi-storey green vault of the forest. Only in some places a ray of the sun breaks through the foliage. Oil palm grows in bright places. The palm vulture likes to eat its fruits. 100 or more species of trees can be counted on 1 hectare of the equatorial forest. Among them are many valuable species: ebony (ebony), red, rosewood. Their wood is used to make expensive furniture and is exported in large quantities.

The forests of Africa are the birthplace of the coffee tree. Bananas are also indigenous Africans. And the cocoa tree was brought here from America. Large areas are occupied by plantations of cocoa, coffee, bananas, pineapples.

Most animals have adapted to life in trees. Mammals are characterized by a variety of monkeys. The lord of the African equatorial forest, the world's largest ape - the gorilla. The favorite food of gorillas is the core of banana stalks. There are very few gorillas left and hunting for them is strictly prohibited. There is a forest antelope bongo, an African wild boar, in the depths of the forest you can meet a very rare hoofed animal akapi. Of the predators, there is a leopard, which climbs trees perfectly.

The world of birds is very rich: kalao - a hornbill, a parrot, a Congolese peacock, tiny sunbirds that feed on flower nectar. Many snakes, incl. poisonous, chameleons that feed on insects.

The inhabitants of the equatorial forest zone are excellent hunters. The significance of hunting is all the more great because the development of cattle breeding is hindered by the spread of the tsetse fly. The bite of this fly is detrimental to livestock and causes severe illness in humans. Rivers abound in fish. And fishing is more important than hunting. But swimming is dangerous. There are many crocodiles here.

The widest part of Africa is located in the center of the hot zone of illumination. The whole continent is caressed by the sun all year round, receives a huge amount of energy from our luminary. The climate of Africa is determined by geographical location, air circulation, the influence of the oceans, and the nature of the underlying surface. According to the combination of these main factors, climatic zones (basic and transitional) are distinguished on the mainland: subtropical, tropical, subequatorial and equatorial. In this order, they are replaced in the northern hemisphere from north to south.

General characteristics of the African climate

The equator crosses the continent roughly in the center. The northern - larger part of the mainland - extends to the Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Arabian Peninsula of Eurasia in the northeast. South of the equator lies a narrow part of Africa, resembling a triangle in shape. The area from the equator to the Northern Tropic receives about 200 kcal/cm2 per year. The average figure for the total solar radiation on the mainland is 160 kcal/cm2 per year.

The climate of Africa is diverse, heat and moisture are distributed unevenly, especially in desert regions. The maximum amount of precipitation is received by the southwestern foot of the Cameroon volcano - up to 10,000 mm / year. Africa surpasses other continents in terms of temperature, being the hottest of them. The greatest amount of solar heat falls on the land mass located between the Northern and Southern tropics.

We will describe the climate of Africa according to the position of the territories of the continent relative to the equator. This is the main climate-forming factor, which determines the heating of the earth's surface, and from it - the air. An important role belongs to other conditions: atmospheric circulation, the nature of the relief, the features of the underlying surface, the position relative to other continents, oceans. The main and transitional types of climate in Africa:

• Equatorial.
• Subequatorial (wet in the south, arid in the north).
• Tropical desert.
• Subtropical Mediterranean.

Equatorial climate of Africa

In the center of the mainland, near the 0° parallel, a hot and humid climate is formed. The equatorial belt covers the territory from 6 ° N. sh. up to 5°S sh. in the Congo basin in the east, on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, it reaches 8 ° N. sh. The conditions of this region are determined by equatorial air masses - hot and humid; it rains throughout the year. The air in January and July heats up to an average of +25 ° C, 2000-3000 mm of precipitation falls annually. The moisture coefficient reaches 1.5-2 (excess).

evergreen forests

The equatorial climate of Africa creates favorable conditions for warm and moisture-loving plants. The equatorial region of Africa is covered with dense evergreen forests - hylaea. It is difficult for animals and people to be under the canopy of the forest, where it is gloomy and stuffy, the air is saturated with the smells of decaying litter and the scent of orchids.

The impassable sparsely populated natural zone has been intensively developed in recent years. Wood is cut down to obtain valuable timber for export. Mahogany, abachi (African maple) and other species are mined.

Subequatorial climate zone

It occupies vast expanses of the mainland from 20 ° S. sh. up to 17° s. sh. More than 1/3 of Africa is located in areas of subequatorial climate. In the eastern part, the transitional belt is not interrupted by the equatorial one; in the southern hemisphere, it does not reach the Atlantic Ocean.

Characteristics of the African climate in the subequatorial region of the continent:

1. Temperature conditions and humidity are determined by the alternating influence of tropical and equatorial air masses. As a result, seasons are formed - wet and dry.
2. Hot and humid air of the equatorial latitudes dominates in summer, dry tropical air mass comes in winter, it becomes a little cooler.
3. The rainless season lasts from 2 to 10 months. The average annual air temperature is over +20 °С, about 1000 mm/year of precipitation will fall (in the southern part of the belt).
4. The duration of the humid period and the average annual precipitation decrease towards the margins of the subequatorial belt.
5. In the northern regions, less rain falls, and the hot breath of the desert is felt. The hottest period of the year falls at the beginning of the rainy season, when the average monthly temperature exceeds +30 °C.
6. The cool months of the humid period are characterized by temperatures around +20 °C and above.

Savannah

In addition to the geographical position and atmospheric circulation, the features of the climate of Africa are determined by the characteristic feature of the relief of the mainland. The margins of the continent are uplifted; compared to the interior regions, they are located higher above sea level.

Mountain ranges and massifs in the north, east and southeast limit the influence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans on the climate of the savannah zone, which stretches within the subequatorial belt. Features of flora and fauna in this part of the continent are determined by the alternation of the wet and dry seasons, the lack of moisture for the formation of full-fledged forests, full-flowing riverbeds.

tropical belt

Features of the climate of Africa in the region of the Northern and Southern tropics - the dominance of hot and dry air masses. Areas with an arid tropical climate and a significant daily temperature range extend in the north and south of the mainland up to the 30th parallel. A significant area of ​​the continent is influenced by an arid tropical climate. In this zone, the highest average monthly rates are noted: +35 ... 40 ° С.

The North African massif receives a lot of solar radiation and very little moisture. Daytime temperatures rarely drop below 20°C. Snow lies on the mountain peaks in the tropics, and desert and semi-desert territories lie at the foot. The most extensive lifeless areas: in the north - the Sahara, in the south - the Namib.

Deserts and semi-deserts

There are areas in the Sahara where temperature minimums and maximums (-3 and +58 °С) were recorded. The daytime temperature on hot sand and stones reaches +60 ... 70 °С, at night it can drop to +10 °С. Daily temperature fluctuations reach 50 °С.

Precipitation in the deserts of Africa falls from 0 to 100 mm / year, which is extremely small. Rains sometimes do not reach the surface of the earth - they dry up in the air. Humidification is poor, Kuvl. = 0.1-0.3. The life of the desert population is concentrated in oases - places where groundwater comes out. Agriculture, cattle breeding, tourist services are developed.

Subtropics of Africa

The extreme south and a narrow strip of the northern coast are occupied by areas of subtropical climate. This is a transitional zone, the features of which are determined by the properties of air masses in temperate and tropical latitudes. The subtropical climate is characterized by dry and rainy seasons, a significant influx of moisture, which contributes to the development of agriculture. The maximum number of rains in the northwestern and southwestern regions of the African continent occurs in the winter months, in the southeast the rainy season is summer.

The subtropics of Africa and other areas of the mainland attract numerous tourists. World-famous resorts are located on the coast of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The main direction of tourism development and types of recreation in North Africa is beach, sightseeing. In the savannas - safari, jeep. Less visited areas are impenetrable rainforests and uninhabited desert areas.

What is the climate in Africa now and in the past? The answer to this question lies in the beds of dry rivers (wadis), the ruins of once prosperous cities, covered by the sands of the Sahara. African climate is becoming arid, deserts are advancing in the north and south. A striking contrast to this phenomenon are floods, when rivers overflow their banks and flood coastal areas. Scientists suggest that catastrophic natural processes may be associated with intensive felling of tree plantations, the widespread construction of cities, roads, the development of agriculture and cattle breeding.

I. Equatorial moist forests.

This is a natural (geographical) zone stretching along the equator with some shift to the south from 8° north latitude.

up to 11°S The climate is hot and humid. All year round, average air temperatures are 24-28 C. The seasons are not expressed.

At least 1500 mm of precipitation falls, since here is an area of ​​\u200b\u200blow pressure (see Atmospheric pressure), and on the coast the amount of precipitation increases to 10,000 mm. Precipitation falls evenly throughout the year.

Such climatic conditions of this zone contribute to the development of lush evergreen vegetation with a complex layered structure of the forest.

The trees here have little branching. They have disc-shaped roots, large leathery leaves, tree trunks rise like columns and spread their thick crown only at the top. The shiny, as if varnished surface of the leaves saves them from excessive evaporation and burns from the scorching sun, from the impact of rain jets during heavy showers.

In plants of the lower tier, the leaves, on the contrary, are thin and delicate.

The equatorial forests of South America are called selva (port. - forest). This zone here occupies much larger areas than in Africa. The selva is wetter than the African equatorial forests, richer in plant and animal species.

The upper tier of equatorial forests is formed by ficuses, palms (200 species).

In South America, ceiba grows in the upper tier, reaching a height of 80 m. Bananas and tree ferns grow in the lower tiers. Large plants are entwined with vines. There are many blooming orchids on the trees.

Sometimes flowers form directly on tree trunks (for example, a cocoa tree).

The soils under the forest canopy are red-yellow, ferrolitic (containing aluminum and iron).

The fauna of the equatorial forests is rich and varied. Many animals live in trees. Numerous monkeys - monkeys, chimpanzees. Diverse birds, insects, termites. Terrestrial inhabitants include small ungulates (African deer, etc.). In the equatorial forests of Africa, a relative of the giraffe lives - the okapi, which lives only in Africa.

The most famous predator of the selva of South America is the jaguar. Constantly wet conditions have allowed frogs and lizards to thrive in trees in the equatorial forests.

The equatorial forest is home to many valuable plants, such as the oil palm, from the fruits of which palm oil is obtained.

The wood of many trees is used to make furniture and is exported in large quantities. These include ebony, the wood of which is black or dark green. Many plants of the equatorial forests provide not only valuable wood, but also fruits, juice, bark for use in technology and medicine.

Elements of equatorial forests penetrate into the tropics along the coast of Central America, to Madagascar.

The main share of equatorial forests is located in Africa and South America, but they are also found in Eurasia, mainly on the islands.

As a result of significant deforestation, the area under them is sharply reduced.

In the very center of Africa, in the basin of the great African Congo River, north and south of the equator line and along the shores of the Gulf of Guinea, there are humid equatorial forests of Africa. The forest zone is located in the equatorial climate zone. It is hot and humid here all year round. Usually in the morning the weather is hot and clear.

The sun rises higher and bakes more and more. As the temperature rises, evaporation increases. It becomes damp and stuffy, like in a greenhouse. In the afternoon, cumulus clouds appear in the sky and merge into heavy lead clouds.

The first drops fell, and a violent thunderstorm broke out. It rains for an hour or two, sometimes more. Rushing streams of rainwater rush through the forest.

Countless streams merge into wide rivers. By evening the weather clears up again. And so almost every day from year to year.

There is an abundance of water everywhere. The air is saturated with moisture, plants and soil are saturated with water. Vast areas are swampy or subject to flooding. The abundance of heat and moisture favors the lush development of dense evergreen woody vegetation. Plant life in the equatorial forests never stops. Trees bloom, bear fruit, shed old foliage and put on new ones throughout the year.

The trees of the equatorial forest grow in several tiers.

The upper tier is formed by the most light-loving plants. They reach 60 meters in height. Under the cold of the tallest trees, trees of smaller height, more shade-tolerant, grow. Even lower is a dense undergrowth of young tree growth and various shrubs. Everything is intertwined with flexible vines.

Eternal twilight reigns under the multi-storey green vault of the forest. Only in some places a ray of the sun breaks through the foliage.

Oil palm grows in bright places.

The palm vulture likes to eat its fruits. 100 or more species of trees can be counted on 1 hectare of the equatorial forest. Among them are many valuable species: ebony (ebony), red, rosewood. Their wood is used to make expensive furniture and is exported in large quantities.

The forests of Africa are the birthplace of the coffee tree. Bananas are also native Africans. And the cocoa tree was brought here from America. Large areas are occupied by plantations of cocoa, coffee, bananas, pineapples.

Most animals have adapted to life in trees.

Mammals are characterized by a variety of monkeys. The gorilla is the lord of the African equatorial forest, the world's largest ape.

The favorite food of gorillas is the core of banana stalks. There are very few gorillas left and hunting for them is strictly prohibited. There is a forest antelope bongo, an African wild boar, in the depths of the forest you can meet a very rare hoofed animal akapi. Of the predators, there is a leopard, which climbs trees perfectly.

The world of birds is very rich: kalao - a hornbill, a parrot, a Congolese peacock, tiny sunbirds that feed on flower nectar.

Many snakes, incl. poisonous, chameleons that feed on insects.

The inhabitants of the equatorial forest zone are excellent hunters. The significance of hunting is all the more great because the development of cattle breeding is hindered by the spread of the tsetse fly. The bite of this fly is detrimental to livestock and causes severe illness in humans. Rivers abound in fish. And fishing is more important than hunting.

But swimming is dangerous. There are many crocodiles here.

The humid equatorial forests of South America or the selva, as they are also called, are located in the Amazon basin (the Amazonian rainforests are the largest rainforest), in the north of South America, are common on the Atlantic coast of Brazil (Atlantic Forest). The climate is hot and humid. The temperature is kept at around 24-28 degrees. Atmospheric precipitation falls at least 1500 mm. As you approach the coast, this figure increases to 10,000. The soils in the forests are red-yellow, contain aluminum and iron.

The vegetation of the forest forms a complex layering. The trunks of large plants are interconnected by vines.

The leaves have a dense surface to avoid excessive evaporation of moisture. Tree trunks rise like columns. The crowns branch closer to the top, thus forming a kind of canopy. The animal world is quite diverse. Due to the lack of light, its terrestrial representatives are few. These include hippos, rhinos, etc. Most often, animals live in the crowns of trees.

They are represented by monkeys, sloths, squirrels, etc. More than 2000 species of fish, a large number of birds (woodpeckers, parrots, takans) and reptiles (tree snakes, iguanas, agamas) make the fauna of these tropical forests unique.

In addition to the bizarre species of ichthyofauna, the warm puffy waters of the equatorial belt can also boast of equally amazing specimens - fantastic inhabitants of the ocean depths and shallow waters.

Since ancient times, this area has been inhabited by the human imagination with all kinds of monsters, creatures dangerous to humans. The reality turned out to be even more incredible than the most sophisticated mind of an experienced sailor could imagine.
Today, a person descending with scuba gear or on a mini-submarine came close to the delightful inhabitants of the kingdom of Neptune.

It seems that the equator is the center of this very kingdom - if not a great empire!

It is no coincidence that sailors, crossing the famous parallel, celebrated the feast of the ancient god of all seas. Here, under the thickness of the ocean waters warmed by the sultry sun, most of the incredible creatures from the retinue of a formidable deity are hidden.

There are giants among them, there are dwarfs. Diverse in coloration of their highly unusual bodies, they amaze with fins, gills, jaws, beaks, tentacles, shells, protective or decorating growths, and many other features of their external appearance.

This incredible menagerie contains typical, less typical and not at all typical representatives of all 33 types of animals!
The ocean is teeming with corals creating reefs, islands and archipelagos. Reefs give
a haven for numerous invertebrates: sponges, sea anemones, mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic worms.

This prey attracts here all kinds of fish that look like old sailboats, bright butterflies, fiery sparks. Following the fish come predators - attacking relatives of fish, like sharks, as well as dolphins and prodolphins.
Bey, this ecological pyramid exists due to microscopically small crustaceans, algae, protozoa and larvae, suspended in the surface layer of ocean water. This mass of organisms is called plankton. They feed on corals and sponges ... And at the same time, the largest inhabitants of the underwater world and the entire planet are whales.

In addition to microscopic algae, there are also real jungles of lush marine vegetation in the ocean. They provide shelter and food for sea urchins, many other invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals such as the endangered, good-natured giant dugongs.
About corals, sea polyps, mollusks, whales, dugongs and dolphins will be described in detail in the following sections.

Of course, the wealth of equatorial waters is by no means exhausted by the collected material; the authors simply offer the reader's attention in this section the most interesting information about the most remarkable marine animals.

The fauna of the equatorial forests is rich and varied. Elements of equatorial forests penetrate into the tropics along the coast of Central America, to Madagascar. The main share of equatorial forests is located in Africa and South America, but they are also found in Eurasia, mainly on the islands.

This is a natural (geographical) zone stretching along the equator with some shift to the south from 8° north latitude. up to 11°S The climate is hot and humid. Such climatic conditions of this zone contribute to the development of lush evergreen vegetation with a complex layered structure of the forest. The trees here have little branching. In plants of the lower tier, the leaves, on the contrary, are thin and delicate. The equatorial forests of South America are called selva (port. - forest). This zone here occupies much larger areas than in Africa.

Soils of the equatorial forests of Africa

Many animals live in trees.

Terrestrial inhabitants include small ungulates (African deer, etc.). In the equatorial forests of Africa, a relative of the giraffe lives - the okapi, which lives only in Africa. The rainforests of Africa are a source of high-quality valuable wood, which is produced by ebony, redwood and rosewood trees.

Natural areas of Africa

Animals of the humid equatorial forests of Africa are represented mainly by species that lead an arboreal lifestyle.

Tropical forests are the realm of monkeys, such as monkeys, baboons, mandrills. Crocodiles and pygmy hippos live in the rivers and on their banks.

Also, many plants of the equatorial forests give not only valuable wood, but also fruits, juice, bark, which are used in technology and medicine. As a result of significant deforestation, the area under them is sharply reduced.

Large plants are entwined with vines. Also, red-yellow ferrallitic soils of moist equatorial forests are unsuitable for agriculture; young soils formed on volcanic rocks are best suited for this. The population of humid equatorial forests The humid and hot climate of the equatorial belt cannot be called favorable for human health.

African jungle - animal world.

In order to feed the tribe, the men earn their living by hunting, fishing and gathering.

In tropical rainforests, the lack of sunlight in the lower layer tends to greatly hinder the formation of undergrowth.

Trees in tropical rainforests share several characteristics that are not seen in plants in less humid climates.

These include the most characteristic trees of the first tier.

In America, they are represented by the types of svetenii, in Africa - by the types of kaya, entandrophragma. These plants are shade tolerant and tend to have heavy and hard woods such as the Gaboon mahogany (Aucumea klainiana).

In the rain forest structure, 3 tree tiers are usually distinguished. The upper tier consists of individual giant trees 50-55 m high, less often 60 m, the crowns of which do not close.

African jungle flora

The role of spore plants is great: ferns and club mosses.

This layer consists of a small number of very tall trees rising above the forest canopy, reaching a height of 60 meters (rare species reach 80 meters). The crowns of most tall trees form a more or less continuous layer of foliage - the forest canopy. Usually the height of this level is 30 - 45 meters.

The study of the forest canopy is still at an early stage.

Between the forest canopy and the forest floor there is another level called the undergrowth. It is home to a number of birds, snakes and lizards. Despite the lush vegetation, the quality of the soil in such forests leaves much to be desired.

In tropical forests, epiphytes are mainly from the Orchid and Bromeliad families. Tropical rainforests are a source of timber, food, genetic, medical materials, and minerals.

Tropical forests are also responsible for cycling about 28% of the world's oxygen.

Often rainforests are also referred to as the "lungs of the earth". Equatorial forests occupy the territory of the Amazon in South America, the valleys of the Congo and Lualaba rivers in Africa, are also located on the Greater Sunda Islands and on the east coast of Australia.

Perhaps 40% of all animals on the planet live in the crowns of the trees of the equatorial forest! Its study is especially difficult, so the canopy of the equatorial forest was figuratively called another unknown living "continent".

Large animals simply would not be able to move through the impenetrable wilds of the equatorial jungle.

Moist equatorial forests are characterized by the presence of several tiers of plants. When viewing the presentation, write down the animals that live in the equatorial forests of Africa. The first impression of the equatorial forest is chaos in nature.

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Africa is an amazing continent, where a large number of geographical zones are combined. Nowhere else are these distinctions so visible.

The natural areas of Africa are very clearly visible on the map. They are distributed symmetrically about the equator and depend on uneven precipitation.

Characteristics of the natural zones of Africa

Africa is the second largest continent on Earth. It is surrounded by two seas and two oceans. But the most important feature is its symmetry in position with respect to the equator, which divides Africa into two parts along the horizon.

Hard-leaved evergreen moist forests and shrubs are located in the north and south of the mainland. Next come deserts and semi-deserts, then savannahs.

In the very center of the continent there are zones of variable-moist and permanent-moist forests. Each zone is characterized by its climate, flora and fauna.

Zone of variable-moist and humid evergreen equatorial forests of Africa

The zone of evergreen forests is located in the Congo Basin and runs along the Gulf of Guinea. Over 1000 plants can be found here. In these zones, predominantly red-yellow soils. Many types of palm trees grow here, including oilseeds, tree ferns, bananas, and creepers.

Animals are placed in tiers. In these places, the animal world is very diverse. A huge number of shrews, lizards and snakes live in the soil.

A huge number of monkeys live in the zone of humid forests. In addition to monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees, more than 10 species of individuals can be found here.

Dog-headed baboons cause a lot of anxiety to local residents. They are destroying the plantations. This species is distinguished by ingenuity. They can only be frightened by weapons, they are not afraid of a person with a stick.

African gorillas in these places grow up to two meters and weigh up to 250 kilograms. Elephants, leopards, small ungulates, forest pigs live in the forests.

Good to know: The tsetse fly lives in the eucalyptus regions of Africa. It is very dangerous for humans. Its bite infects with deadly sleeping sickness. A person begins to be disturbed by severe pain and fever.

savannah zone

About 40% of the entire territory of Africa is occupied by savannahs. The vegetation is represented by tall grasses and umbrella trees towering above them. The main one is the baobab.

This is the tree of life, which is of great importance to the people of Africa. , leaves, seeds - everything is eaten. The ash from the burnt fruit is used to make soap.

In dry savannahs, aloes grow with fleshy and prickly leaves. In the rainy season, the savannah is very abundant vegetation, but in the dry season it turns yellow, fires often occur.

The red soils of the savannah are much more fertile than those in the rainforest zone. This is due to the active accumulation of humus during the dry period.

Large herbivores live on the territory of the African savannah. Giraffes, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes live here. The savannah area is the habitat of predators, cheetahs, lions, leopards.

Tropical and semi-desert zones

Savannahs are replaced by zones of tropical deserts and semi-deserts. Precipitation in these places is very irregular. In certain areas, it may not rain for several years.

The climatic features of the zone are characterized by excessive dryness. Often there are sandstorms, during the day there are strong temperature differences.

The relief of the deserts is a placer of stones and salt marshes in those places where once there were seas. There are practically no plants here. There are rare spines. There are species of vegetation with a short lifespan. They grow only after the rains.

Zones of evergreen hard-leaved forests and shrubs

The most extreme zone of the continent is the territory of evergreen hard-leaved leaves and shrubs. These areas are characterized by wet winters and hot dry summers.

Such a climate favorably affects the condition of the soil. In these places it is very fertile. Lebanese cedar, beech, oak grow here.

In this zone, the highest points of the mainland are located. On the peaks of Kenya and Kilimanjaro, even in the hottest period, there is always snow.

Table of Natural Areas of Africa

The presentation and description of all the natural zones of Africa can be visualized in the table.

The position of the climatic zones of the mainland is delimited very clearly. This applies not only to the territory itself, but also to the definition of fauna, flora and climate types.

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 savannahs, 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 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.