What Is a Climate Map Used For?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 11, 2023

A climate map is a type of map used to provide data about the general weather conditions in particular areas around the world. The information is derived from the long-term observations of climatic factors such as precipitation, temperature, relative humidity, sunlight duration, cloud cover, wind force and direction and atmospheric pressure.

A cartographer usually indicates the various climatic zones on a climate map by using different color codes. The six primary climate zones on the planet include tropical, mild, continental, dry, highland and polar climatic regions. To increase data accuracy and reduce bias, the information presented in a climate map is commonly averaged over a period of one month or an entire year.