When you hear someone say the word “tropical,” you will most likely have an image of palm trees on a sandy beach, with an umbrella in a brightly coloured drink. While this might not be a spot-on definition, this picture you have in your head is close to what a tropical climate looks like. Why this happens is because warmth is usually the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “tropical.”

What is a tropical climate?

Tropical Jungle with Palm Trees

Well, so you have a better understanding of what a tropical climate is, we’re going to be giving a clear definition, with details of everything you need to know. 

Tropical Meaning

Tropical, in terms of geography, refers to regions that lie close to the Earth’s equator and experience a warm and humid climate all year round. These areas are characterised by their lush vegetation, diverse wildlife, and abundant rainfall. The tropical climate is typically associated with high temperatures, with average temperatures ranging from 25 to 35 degrees Celsius.

In a broader sense, the term “tropical” can also be used to describe anything that pertains to or resembles the tropics.

For example, tropical fruits such as bananas, pineapples, and mangoes are known for their vibrant flavours and are often associated with exotic and tropical destinations. Additionally, tropical decor or clothing might incorporate elements like palm trees, bright floral patterns, or bamboo materials, evoking a sense of the tropics.

What is the Meaning of A Tropical Climate?

Specifically, the word “Tropical” refers to places close to the equator. Sometimes, it is used generally to mean a tropical climate – a climate that is hot to warm and moist all year.

According to the Köppen system, a tropical climate is defined as having an average monthly temperature of over 18C. Also, there’s usually no winter season. Plus, there’s a large amount of annual rainfall that’s greater than the annual evaporation.

Additionally, tropical climates are known to have predictable temperature patterns. But, they are also characterised by moderate seasonal variation coupled with highly variable and unpredictable yearly precipitation regimes. 

Just like the image you have in your head, what makes a climate tropical is warm temperature – the average temperature in a tropical climate all year is 64F. 

But that’s not all!

What is the definition of tropical climate though?

A tropical climate is typically characterised by high temperatures, abundant rainfall, and lush vegetation, creating a perfect habitat for exotic species and vibrant ecosystems.

Another core trait of a tropical climate is the variability in temperature. The temperature can vary hugely by as much as 20 degrees on a daily scale. However, the seasons don’t vary as much in temperature on an annual scale.

Even though the usual pattern is warm temperature, tropical climates are also humid. But, depending on the type of tropical climate, this humidity varies – Equatorial climates experience substantial quantities of precipitation throughout the year while Topical Monsoon and Tropical Dry and Wet climates experience rain patterns that shift each season.

This brings us to the tropical seasons.

What Are The Tropical Seasons?

Tropical climate zones, or tropical regions, are considered as areas in specific locations on the globe. As mentioned earlier, these regions are close to the equator – an imaginary line that runs around the middle of the Earth. Because these regions get intense sunlight year-round, they don’t have the same four seasons as other parts of the Earth do – we’re referring to winter, fall, summer, and spring.

Some tropical regions have only one hot season throughout the year. They usually have sunny days with frequent showers of warm rain. However, other tropical regions have two seasons – Dry and Rainy. The rainy season has heavy rainfall and continues for about three months or less, while the dry season is usually hot with little or no rain.

What Are the Tropics?

Tropical Leaves of Banana Plants

Tropical Leaves of Banana Plants

The answer is simple! Topics are basically tropical regions – they are enclosed within two lines of latitude. We have the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere. Also, the tropics make up around 40% of the World’s population and approximately 36% of the Earth’s landmass.

The tropics, sometimes referred to as the torrid or tropic zone, include all the areas on Earth where the Sun is directly overhead at least once throughout the solar year. As a result, the latitudes of the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer are approximately the same as the angle the Earth tilts on its axis – this is about 23 degrees. Even more, the tropics are distinct from other regions – like the polar regions and middle latitudes we find on both sides of the Equator.

It’s a bit different when we come to biogeography though. Here, the tropics are divided into Neotropics (South America, Central America, and the Caribbean) and Paleotropics (Australia, Asia, and Africa) – sometimes both referred to as Pantropic.

Countries in the Tropical Zone

Obviously, tropical countries are those that are within the tropics – the zone between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. A trivia fact is that everywhere in the tropics is hit at noon by the Sun’s perpendicular rays at least a day each year.

The tropical country meaning refers to a nation blessed with a warm climate, flourishing with lush rainforests, picturesque beaches, and an abundance of diverse wildlife.

Like we mentioned earlier, at the center of the tropics is the equator. This is important because cocoa, for instance, only grows within a certain distance from the equator – meaning chocolate is a quintessential tropical food. Interesting, right?

A lot of people imagine tropical countries to only have palm trees and a few islands, but that’s not entirely accurate – a large number of countries in the world lie within the tropical zones.

 

Standing on the equator in Ecuador

Standing on the equator in Ecuador

In the Western Hemisphere, for instance, we have tropical countries like the top half of South America, including French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, the northern portions of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile, the entire Caribbean Islands from south of Nassau, all of Central America, as well as Mexico.

 

Even in Africa, we have some countries in the tropical zone – every country lies either party or entirely in the tropics except Swaziland and Lesotho in the south and Tunisia and Morocco in the north.

Even though no European country is in the tropical, we have four Middle East tropical countries – the whole of Yemen and parts of the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. In Southern Asia, India lies mostly in the tropical zone while all the countries in Southeast Asia fall within the tropics. Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Australia are also tropical countries. 

One thing to note is that not every tropical country has the same climate, even though they all have limited temperature ranges and a lesser amount of climate change in a year than in other zones.

From a gardener’s view, similar crops and plants can be found throughout the tropical zone. However, there’s still some form of diversity within these tropical countries, which leads us to…

Plants That Live in A Tropical Climate 

Plants in the tropics (or tropical trees) are not much different from plants in other zones. They all share the same basic needs – proper food and nutrients, water, and healthy soil.

Tropical plants meaning refers to a diverse array of vegetation that is specifically adapted to thrive in the warm, humid, and lush environments typically found in tropical regions around the world.

Popular tropical plants you’ll find living in a tropical climate include tender or tropical bulbs like Ginger, Cannas, Calla lilies, Caladiums, and Colocasia. You’ll also find other tender plants like Passiflora incarnata, Trumpet vine, Hibiscus, Fuchsia, Bamboo, Banana plants, and Orchids.

A lot of popular houseplants actually come from these zones – they thrive outdoors in “jungle-like” situations. Examples are Croton, Pothos, Palms, Ferns, and Rubber tree.

VIEW: the full range of tropical plants here!

 

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Last Modified: May 6, 2023