Heat Zones - Concepts - Chapter 2 Class 6 Geography - Latitudes and Longitudes - Geography

• All parts of the earth do not receive the same amount of heat from the sun
• The important parallels help us to divide the earth into three heat zones:
• Torrid Zone : All places located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn receive maximum heat and are hot
• Temperate Zone : Places outside the torrid zone receive less heat and are moderate. 
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle is known as the north temperate zone
• In the Southern Hemisphere, the area between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle is known as the south temperate zone

• • Frigid Zone : Beyond the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle, it is very cold as these areas receive extreme slanting rays of the sun
    • The north frigid zone lies between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole
    • The south frigid zone lies between the Antarctic Circle and the South

Great Circles

• A great circle is a circle on a sphere that divides it into two equal hemispheres
• The equator is a great circle , as it divides the earth into two equal parts
• Any meridian is also a great circle, as it passes through both poles
• Any parallel other than the equator is not a great circle, as it does not divide the earth into two equal parts