Tropics

The region of Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, where the Sun can pass directly overhead at least once each year.

Latitude: A geographic coordinate measuring angular distance north or south of the equator. The tropics are bounded by two specific latitudes, one north and one south.
Zenith: The point in the sky directly above an observer. The tropics are the only latitudes where the Sun can reach the zenith.
Tropical climate: A climate classification characterized by consistently warm temperatures and, in many regions, distinct wet and dry seasons. It describes many—but not all—places within the astronomical tropics.
Temperate zone: The midlatitude region between the tropics and the polar circles, generally marked by stronger seasonal temperature variation. Unlike tropical latitudes, temperate latitudes never receive the Sun directly overhead.
Biodiversity hotspot: A region with exceptional endemic biodiversity that has also lost much of its original habitat. Many hotspots lie in tropical regions where habitat conversion threatens endemic species.
Earth's axial tilt: The angle between Earth’s rotational axis and the perpendicular to its orbital plane. Its 23.4-degree tilt sets the tropics’ approximate distance from the equator.
Subsolar point: The location on Earth where the Sun is directly overhead at a given moment. Its annual north–south journey stays within the tropics.
Intertropical Convergence Zone: A shifting belt of low pressure where trade winds converge and rising air produces frequent rainfall. Its seasonal migration strongly influences tropical rainfall and wet seasons.
Arctic Circle: The northern boundary of the region that experiences at least one day of continuous daylight and one of continuous darkness each year. Its polar-day criterion contrasts with the tropics’ overhead-Sun criterion.
Coral reef: A marine ecosystem built largely by reef-forming corals and their calcium-carbonate structures. Most reef-building corals thrive in warm tropical seas, making reefs central to tropical biodiversity.

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