WHAT CAN MAPS TELL US ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT GREECE? MAP TYPE 1: CLIMATE MAPS

WHAT CAN MAPS TELL US ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT GREECE? MAP TYPE 1: CLIMATE MAPS

MAP TYPE 2: PHYSICAL AND/OR TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS

MAP TYPE 3: POLITICAL MAPS

TYPE 4: RESOURCE & TRADE MAPS

Descriptions of World Climate Zones: Tropical Climates: Rainy Tropical: usually (but not always) found along the equator. There is no dry season. Tropical rainforest climates have no pronounced summer or winter; it is typically hot and wet throughout the year and rainfall is both heavy and frequent. Tropical Savana: Characterized by tall grasses and occasional trees. Savannas exist in areas where there is a 6 to 8 month wet summer season and a dry winter season. The dry season is marked by months of drought and fire. Semiarid Tropical (Steppe): A steppe climate is found in the middle of continents and in the lee of high mountains. They are temperate regions, which hav e distinct seasonal temperature changes cold winters and warm summers. Steppes are semi-arid, meaning they receive 10-20 inches of rain each year. This is enough rain to support short grasses, but not enough for tall grasses or trees to grow. Arid Tropical (Desert): Low latitude desert climates. All months have average temperatures over 64 F. They have warm winters and long, hot summers with extreme daily temperature. Descending air becomes warm but, instead of releasing rain, the heat from the ground evaporates the water before it can come down as rain. The ground is super-hot Typical vegetation includes low trees, prostrate shrubs, cacti and agave as soils tend to be shallow, coarse and well-drained. Subtropical Climates: Mediterranean Climate: Mediterranean-climate regions are found, roughly speaking, between 31 and 40 degrees latitude north and south of the equator, on the wester n side of a continent. Climate is very mild (few extreme temperatures), so it really only has 2 seasons: summer and winter. Summers are longer than winter, and the winter is very mild. Climate is known for warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters. Plants in Mediterranean climate must be able to survive long dry summers Humid Subtropical: Found on the east coast of continents between 20 and 40 north and south of the equator. Known for hot humid summers and mil d winters. Rain falls throughout the year. The regularly high temperatures evaporate water, which causes humidity and precipitatio n. Usually experience strong storms such as tornadoes and hurricanes. natural vegetation is mainly evergreen trees, bushes, and shrubs Dry Subtropical: there are at least 8 months in which the average temperature is 50 F or higher. It has mild weather th roughout the year, but a rainy winter season. It typically occurs on the west side of continents. Cyclonic Climates: Humid Continental: Found in the interior of continents between the 30 and 60 degrees latitude. One of the few climates with 4 different sea son. Warm and humid summer, cool and dry autumn (fall), cold and harsh winter, and a warm and wet spring. Wide range of temperatures. Sometimes called temperate grasslands. This climate is excellent for farming since it has warm summers and regular rainfall. Subarctic (Taiga): Usually found in the interior of high latitude continents usually between 50 and 70 degrees latitude. Since there are no lar ge continents in high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, they are only found in the Northern Hemisphere. They have. 2 seasons long extremely cold winter and short cool to mild summer. Very little precipitation falls here. Most of the rain falls in the summer. Subarctic regions are covered in snow for most of the year. Dry Continental: Maritime/Oceanic Continental: Typical of the west coasts at the middle latitudes of most continents, and generally features warm (but not hot) summers and cool (but not cold) winters, with a relatively narrow annual temperature range. Predominant climate type across much of N orthern Western Europe, parts of the Appalachians, portions of southwestern South America and small areas of Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Polar Climates Polar Tundra: Cold through all months of the year summer is a brief period of milder climates when the sun shines almost 24 hours a day. Th e short summer lasts only 6 to 10 weeks. It never gets any warmer than 45 or 50 F. The tundra is an unusually cold and dry climate. Precipitation totals 6-10 inches of rain a year, which includes melted snow. This is almost as little as the world s driest deserts. Coupled with strong and drying winds, the tundra is an extreme weather biome. Polar Ice Cap: A high latitude region of a planet or natural satellite that is covered in ice. Extreme seasons. There isn't a traditional summer since the temperatures almost never go above freezing. However, there are 2 seasons. The seasons are determined by the amount of light. During the "summer", there is nearly 24 hours of light, since the pole is pointed toward the sun. During the "winter" the pole is facing away from the sun, which causes nearly 24 hours of darkness. Highland/Alpine Climates: Found in high mountain areas. It is found on single mountains and also large areas of high elevation. There are no seasons in Highland climate. Any seasonal differences would only be felt at low elevations, near the bottom of a mountain. The reason mountains need their own climate type is because the "climate" changes as you move up the mountain. At the base (bottom) of a mountain it might be 80 degrees and sunny, but as you climb the mountain it will get colder and be rainy. As you keep climbi ng, it might be snowy and freezing cold. In fact, the temperature drops about 3 degrees every 1000 feet in elevation as you move up a mountain.