Why does geography influence temperature?

Answer 1

A little known fact is that the angle that sunlight hits the different parts of the earth determines how hot or cold that region is. Because the world is round and tilted at a 23.5 degree angle, at different times of the year different parts of the world have more direct sunlight. Observe the picture below:

As you can see in the north the angle of the earth results in the sunlight coming in at a very shallow angle and therefore cannot be absorbed very well. However, going toward the center of the earth the light hits the earth at sharper and sharper angles, which causes more heat to be captured and stored.

So, in short, the further north or south you go, the shallower the angle that sunlight hits the earth causing those regions to be cooler (on average) and the further toward the equator you go, the sharper the angle that sunlight hits the earth causing those regions to be warmer (on average).