There are two temperate zones, one in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern Hemisphere. They, along with the tropics and the polar regions, make up the climate zones of planet Earth.
Latitude lines measure the distance of a location on Earth either north or south of the equator. The equator is at latitude zero degrees and is equidistant from both the north and the south poles.
The top of the North Temperate Zone is bordered by the Arctic Circle at about 66.5 degrees north latitude. The Tropic of Cancer, at 23.5 degrees north latitude, is the southern boundary.
The Antarctic Circle is the southern border of the South Temperate Zone, located at roughly 66.5 degrees south latitude. The Tropic of Capricorn, at 23.5 degrees south latitude edges the northern boundary.
The North Temperate Zone has more land mass than the south. North America, Europe and Asia all have large portions of their continental mass in the temperate zone. Africa, South America and Australia have portions of their land masses in the South Temperate Zone.
The sun never sits directly over the Temperate Zones because of their location in the middle third of both the northern and southern hemispheres. As the Earth tilts on its axis, the Temperate Zones experience defined seasons.
