🗺️ MAJOR CLIMATIC REGIONS OF THE WORLD World Geography · Ch 19

BPSC / BSSC — World Geography Mind Map Series

🌡️ Climate
  • The average of long-term weather conditions (30 years)
  • Short-term atmospheric condition = Weather
📚 Köppen Climate Classification System
  • Empirical Climate Classification proposed in 1918 AD
  • Modified in 1936 AD — based on temperature, rainfall and season
🔤 Köppen Climate Groups
CodeGroupKey Feature
ATropical ClimateAverage annual temperature > 18°C
BDry ClimateEvaporation exceeds precipitation
CTemperate Humid ClimateMid-latitude climate
DCold Humid ClimateAverage temperature of coldest month: below −3°C
EPolar ClimateAnnual average temperature: less than 10°C
HHighland / Mountainous ClimateCold climate due to altitude
⚠ Exam Trap
Group D's threshold is the coldest month averaging below −3°C (not +3°C) — a small sign error here completely changes the climate boundary.
🌴 A – Tropical Climate (Between Tropic of Cancer & Capricorn)

Tropical Rainforest (Af)

  • Heavy rainfall all year
  • Dense vegetation – mahogany, sandalwood, rubber, etc.

Tropical Monsoon (Am)

  • Monsoon rain
  • Wet and dry seasons

Tropical Wet & Dry / Savanna (Aw)

  • Savanna – large grasslands
  • Tall grass
⚡ Quick Recall
Af = rain all year (rainforest) · Am = monsoon (wet+dry) · Aw = savanna grassland — three sub-types under the same "hot" umbrella.
🏜️ B – Dry Climate (15° to 60° N and S Latitudes)

Steppe / Semi-Arid (BS)

  • Semi-arid
  • Short grass regions

Desert / Arid (BW)

  • Desert (arid) – Thar, Sahara, Atacama
  • Cacti vegetation
  • Evaporation > Precipitation
📌 Desert regions by continent Africa – Sahara, Kalahari • South America – Atacama • Asia – Thar
⚡ Quick Recall
Steppe (BS) has short grass and moderate aridity; Desert (BW) is the more extreme, fully arid type.
🌤️ C – Warm Temperate (Mid-latitude) Climate

Subtropical / China Type Climate (Cfa)

  • Mild winter, hot summer
  • Influenced by Subtropical High Pressure
  • Found in: USA, South-east China, South Japan, Australia (East coast)

Mediterranean Climate (Cs)

  • Cultivation of juicy fruits – lemon, orange, olive, fig, etc.
  • Found in: Central California, Chile, New Zealand

Marine West Coast Climate (Cfb)

  • A distinct, separate climate type — mild, rainy, maritime-influenced (e.g. Western Europe, parts of coastal North America)
⚠ Exam Trap
Marine West Coast Climate (Cfb) is its own independent climate type — don't treat it as a sub-type of Mediterranean (Cs); the two are separate C-group classifications.
❄️ D – Cold Snow Forest / Humid Continental Climate

Cold Climate with Wet Winter (Df)

  • Humid Continental climate
  • No pronounced dry season — precipitation year-round
  • Found across Northern Europe, Russia, Canada

Cold Climate with Dry Winter (Dw)

  • Monsoon-influenced dry winters
  • Found across North-east Asia (Siberia, Manchuria, Korea)
⚡ Quick Recall
Df = wet winter, no dry season · Dw = dry winter, monsoon-influenced — the "f" vs "w" suffix marks this distinction across Köppen groups.
🧊 E – Polar Climate

Tundra (ET)

  • Minimum vegetation
  • Found in: Norway, Finland, Russia, Siberia

Ice Cap (EF)

  • Extremely cold climate
  • Found in: Greenland, Antarctica
⛰️ H – Highland Climate
  • Cold climate driven by altitude, not latitude
  • Found in: Alps, Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, Rockies, Andes Mountains
⚠ Exam Trap
Rockies (North America) and Andes (South America) are two different mountain ranges — both fall under Highland Climate, but don't treat them as the same range.
📝 Quick Reference — Key Facts
FactDetails
Climate definitionAverage of 30 years of weather conditions
Köppen classification year1918 AD (Modified 1936 AD)
Coldest place in worldVerkhoyansk (Russia)
Driest place on EarthAtacama Desert (Chile)
El-Niño originCoast of Peru – Pacific Ocean
Tropical Rainforest vegetationMahogany, sandalwood, rubber, etc.
Mediterranean fruitsLemon, orange, olive, fig, etc.
Tundra climate (ET)Minimum vegetation – Norway, Finland, Russia, Siberia
Ice Cap climate (EF)Greenland and Antarctica
Polar cold windPurga – from North Pole region
⚡ Quick Recall
Verkhoyansk (Russia) = Coldest inhabited place · Atacama (Chile) = Driest place — two extreme-climate records, often paired in MCQs.
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