answersLogoWhite

0

The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere, at approximately 23°30' (23.5°) N latitude, and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at 23°30' (23.5°) S latitude. This region is also referred to as the tropical zone and the torrid zone.

This area includes all the areas of the Earth where the sun reaches a point directly overhead at least once during the solar year. (In the temperate zones, north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the sun never reaches an angle of 90° or directly overhead.) The word "tropics" comes from Greek tropos meaning "turn", because the apparent position of the Sun oscillates between the two tropics with a period that defines the average length of a year.

Source: http://www.answers.com/tropical+region?gwp=11&ver=2.3.0.609&method=3

User Avatar

Wiki User

17y ago

What else can I help you with?