On the basis of temperature, our earth has been divided into the following temperate zones:

1. Hot zone or Torrid Zone – Hot zone expands in both the hemispheres between 0° to 23 1/2° latitudes. 

Following are the major characteristics of this zone:

• Sunrays fall directly, especially perpendicular, on all the regions, at least once in a year. 
• Climatic change is almost negligible here. Same climate is there, both in summer and winter.

2. Temperate zone – This zone expands in both the hemispheres between 23 1/2° to 66 1/2° latitudes.

Following are the major characteristics of this zone: 

• The sun is never on the head here. 
• Difference between the day. and the night increases. Four seasons occur heresummer, winter, autumn and spring.

3. Cold zone – This zone expands in both the hemispheres between 66 1/2° to 90° latitudes up till the North and South Pole. 

Following are the major characteristics of this temperate zone: 

• These are the coldest regions. Temperature is less than 0° for most of the time. On the poles here, 6 months have days and six months have night. 
• Due to rigid climate, very less population resides here.