Mary Allen
The temperate zone is one of the climatic zones into which the earth is divided. They are found in both the northern and southern hemispheres. There it can be found between the subtropics and the polar regions. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are in the temperate zone.
It is typical of the temperate zone that the climate depends on the seasons. That means there are cold winters and warm summers. Temperatures change significantly over the course of a year. However, they do not vary to the same extent everywhere. They are usually less strong on the coasts than inland. Also typical of the temperate zone is that the length of the day changes with the seasons. The days are long in summer and short in winter.
The temperate zone is further divided into a cool-temperate and a cold-temperate zone. The cool-temperate climate is also called the nemoral climate by experts. In order to speak of a cool, moderate climate, the average temperature in the warmest month must be over 20 degrees Celsius. Forests with deciduous trees or mixed forests with deciduous and coniferous trees are predominantly found in the cool-temperate zone. In areas with very little rainfall, such as much of Central Asia, there are also grass steppes and deserts.
The cold temperate zone borders on the polar regions. There, the average temperature of the warmest month is below 20 degrees Celsius. The winters are usually long and there is a lot of snow. In some areas, temperatures of minus 40 degrees and less are measured in winter. The short summers are rather mild. On some summer days, it can also get quite hot. Experts also speak of the boreal climate or the sub-polar climate. In the forests, one finds almost exclusively coniferous trees. This type of landscape is called taiga or “boreal coniferous forest”. To the north is the tundra, where there are no trees at all. This type of landscape also belongs to the cold temperate zone.