The map of our planet is covered with a network of thin imaginary lines - parallels, meridians, equator, tropics and polar circles. In this article, we will talk in detail about what the Southern Tropic is, what kind of line it is, through which countries and geographical objects it passes.
Earth and its "marking"
Before starting the story of the Southern Tropic, it will not be superfluous to recall three important points. All of them are well known to us from the school course of general geography:
- The earth is spherical.
- It rotates around the Sun and around its own axis.
- Our planet's axis is tilted relative to the orbit (the value of this tilt is 66.5 degrees).
These three points will help us understand the following material.
So, our planet is crossed by five conditional (imaginary) lines. This is:
- Equator. Here the Sun is at its zenith twice a year, that is, it shines downward at a right angle (March 21 and September 23).
- Tropics (North and South). Here the celestial body is at its zenith once a year - on June 22 overNorth, and on December 22 over the South.
- The Arctic Circles (North and South) are lines that limit territories where unique astronomical phenomena are observed - the so-called polar days and polar nights.
Southern tropic: latitude and meaning of the term
The word "tropic" is of ancient Greek origin. And it is translated into Russian as "turn". Obviously, we are talking here about the conditional movement (turn) of the Sun to the point of its solstice (zenith). The southern tropic is also referred to as the Tropic of Capricorn. Where does this name come from? The fact is that two millennia ago, the celestial body during the winter solstice was part of this constellation.
Southern tropic is one of the five main parallels of the Earth. Its exact coordinates are: 23 26' 16 south latitude (see map below). At the time of the winter solstice (namely, December 22), the sun's rays fall here vertically down, that is, at an angle of 90 degrees. In the opposite hemisphere of the planet, the equivalent of the Tropic of Capricorn is the Northern Tropic. It is located at the same distance from the earth's equator as the South.
As a result of the change in the tilt of the earth's axis, the position of the tropics is also changing. So, today, the Southern Tropic of the Earth is gradually shifting towards the equator line.
What objects does the tropic pass through?
Which countries does the Tropic of Capricorn cross? There are ten such states:
- Chile.
- Argentina.
- Paraguay.
- Brazil.
- Namibia.
- Botswana.
- South Africa.
- Mozambique.
- Madagascar.
- Australia.
There are few cities on the Southern Tropic. The biggest ones:
- Sao Paulo.
- Maringa.
- Ubatuba.
- Rockhampton.
- Alice Springs.
The Tropic of Capricorn mainly runs through the water expanses of the oceans. Within the land, it passes through the territories of three continents of the Earth: Africa, Australia and South America. The tropic also crosses the following geographical features (from west to east):
- Andes.
- La Plata Lowland.
- Brazilian plateau.
- Namib and Kalahari Deserts.
- Great Sandy Desert.
- Great Dividing Range.
Tropical climate and its features
Lines of the tropics limit that part of the earth's surface that receives the maximum amount of solar energy and heat. Thanks to this, a dry and very hot climate has formed here.
Main features of Earth's tropical climate:
- High atmospheric pressure.
- Dominance of the trade winds (or east winds).
- Insignificant amount of precipitation (about 200-300 mm per year).
- Low clouds.
- Hot summers and no winter as such (during the "cold" months the air temperature rarely drops below +10 degrees).
In the tropics, it is customary to single out not four (as in the temperate zone), but only two seasons a year:relatively wet winter and dry summer. In this climatic zone, there are separate particularly hot spots, which are located, as a rule, in the depths of continental land. In summer, the air here often warms up to +50 degrees and above.
