World map with the intertropical zone highlighted in red.

Tropical climate zones of the Earth where all twelve months have mean temperatures above 18 °C (64 °F).

The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23° 26′ 16″ (or 23.4378°) N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at 23° 26′ 16″ (or 23.4378°) S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth. The tropics are also referred to as the tropical zone and the torrid zone (see geographical zone). The tropics include all the areas on the Earth where the Sun reaches a point directly overhead at least once during the solar year. About 40 percent of the world's human population lives within the tropical zone (by 2008 statistics), and by 2060, 60% of the human population will be in the tropics, owing to high birth rates and migration.^[1]

The tropics are distinguished from the other climatic and biomatic regions of Earth, the middle latitudes and the polar regions on either side of the equatorial zone.

Seasons and climate[link]

A graph showing the zonally averaged monthly precipitation. The tropics receive more precipitation than higher latitudes. The precipitation maximum, which follows the solar equator through the year, is under the rising branch of the Hadley circulation; the sub-tropical minima are under the descending branch and cause the desert areas.

Tropical sunset over the sea in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

"Tropical" is sometimes used in a general sense for a tropical climate to mean warm to hot and moist year-round, often with the sense of lush vegetation.

Many tropical areas have a dry and wet season. The wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region falls.^[2] The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities.^[3] Areas with wet seasons are disseminated across portions of the tropics and subtropics.^[4] Under the Koppen climate classification, for tropical climates, a wet season month is defined as a month where average precipitation is 60 millimetres (2.4 in) or more.^[5] Tropical rainforests technically do not have dry or wet seasons, since their rainfall is equally distributed through the year.^[6] Some areas with pronounced rainy seasons will see a break in rainfall mid-season when the intertropical convergence zone or monsoon trough move poleward of their location during the middle of the warm season.^[7]

When the wet season occurs during the warm season, or summer, precipitation falls mainly during the late afternoon and early evening hours. The wet season is a time when air quality improves, freshwater quality improves, and vegetation grows significantly, leading to crop yields late in the season. Floods cause rivers to overflow their banks, and some animals to retreat to higher ground. Soil nutrients diminish and erosion increases. The incidence of malaria increases in areas where the rainy season coincides with high temperatures. Animals have adaptation and survival strategies for the wetter regime. Unfortunately, the previous dry season leads to food shortages into the wet season, as the crops have yet to mature.

Regions within the tropics may well not have a tropical climate. There are alpine tundra and snow-capped peaks, including Mauna Kea, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the Andes as far south as the northernmost parts of Chile and Argentina. Under the Köppen climate classification, much of the area within the geographical tropics is classed not as "tropical" but as "dry" (arid or semi-arid) including the Sahara Desert, the Atacama Desert and Australian Outback.

Tropical ecosystems[link]

Coconut palms in the warm, tropical climate in Brazil.

Tropical forest near Fond St-Denis, Martinique.

Tropical plants and animals are those species native to the tropics. Tropical ecosystems may consist of rainforests, dry deciduous forests, spiny forests, desert and other habitat types. There are often significant areas of biodiversity, and species endemism present, particularly in rainforests and dry deciduous forests. Some examples of important biodiversity and/or high endemism ecosystems are: El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, Costa Rican and Nicaraguan rainforests, Brazilian and Venezuelan Amazon Rainforest territories, Madagascar dry deciduous forests, Waterberg Biosphere of South Africa and eastern Madagascar rainforests. Often the soils of tropical forests are low in nutrient content making them quite vulnerable to slash-and-burn techniques, which are sometimes an element of shifting cultivation agricultural systems.

In biogeography, the tropics are divided into Paleotropics (Africa, Asia and Australia) and Neotropics (Caribbean, Central America, and South America). Together, they are sometimes referred to as the Pantropics. The Neotropical region should not be confused with the ecozone of the same name; in the Old World, there is no such ambiguity, as the Paleotropics correspond to the Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and partly the Australasian and Oceanic ecozones.

See also[link]

Geography portal

References[link]

A Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho) tropical butterfly.

External links[link]

• Tropen, Goethe-Institut (bilingual web site English/German with a lot of information and extracts from novels, short stories, essays, etc. written by explorers, conquerors and writers since the discovery of the so called New World)

Gerard Joling
Background information
Birth name	Gerard Jan Joling
Also known as	Geer
Born	(1960-04-29) 29 April 1960 (age 52)
Origin	Alkmaar, Netherlands
Genres	Pop, soft rock, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer, television presenter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1985–present
Labels	NRGY Music
Website	www.gerardjoling.nl

Gerard Jan Joling (born 29 April 1960 in Alkmaar) is a Dutch singer and television presenter. Known for his high tenor voice, he rose to fame in the late 80's and released a string of singles including "Ticket to the Tropics", "Love is in your Eyes", and his biggest hit, "No more boleros", a song that reached the top 10 in several countries in mainland Europe. He also achieved success in Asia and received more than 20 gold and platinum records.

In 1988 he was the Dutch participant in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, with the song "Shangri-La".

Joling & Gordon Over de Vloer is a television program Gerard Joling made with singer Gordon in 2005. There are 3 seasons of the serie which contained the twosome during work and having a laugh.

In 2007 he was the host of Sterren dansen op het ijs and So You Wanna Be a Popstar for the television channel SBS 6. 2007 was also the year that sparked Joling's renewed success, with two number 1 songs, a number 1 album, and 11 gold and platinum awards.

In 2008 Joling became team captain on the Dutch TV show Wie ben ik? ("Who am I?"), in which the team captains, together with both two guests, have to guess who they are, based on hints and questions they can ask. The other team captain is Patty Brard.

Joling was scheduled to represent The Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow as a member of De Toppers but in Autumn 2008 he broke both his arm in a skiing accident. Gerard was replaced in The Toppers with Jeroen van der Boom. In December 2009, De Toppers manager Benno de Leeuw announced in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that Gerard Joling and Gordon are to rejoin the group, turning the trio into a foursome once more.^[1]

Discography[link]

ALBUMS:(certifications apply to record sales in The Netherlands)

• 1985 "Love is in your eyes" (WEA/Warner music Holland) Awarded with Gold & Platinum.
• 1986 "Sea of love" (WEA/Warner music Holland)
• 1987 "Heart To Heart" (Mercury records Holland)
• 1988 "The best of Gerard Joling" (Arcade records Holland)
• 1989 "No more bolero's" (Mercury Holland)Awarded with Gold & 2 x Platinum.
• 1990 "Corazon" (Mercury Holland) Awarded with Gold
• 1991 "The very best of Gerard Joling" (Arcade diamond star collection)
• 1991 "Memory Lane" (Mercury Holland) Awarded with Gold
• 1992 "Eye To Eye" (Mercury Holland)
• 1994 "Eternal Love" (Bunny Music)
• 1995 "The Collection 1985-1995" (Mercury Holland)
• 1995 "Heel even anders" (Bunny Music)
• 1996 "A Magic Christmas" (Bunny Music)
• 1997 "Nightlife" (Bunny Music)
• 2001 "Only the strong survive"
• 2004 "Nostalgia"
• 2007 "Maak me gek" (NRGY music) Awarded with Gold
• 2008 "Bloedheet" (NRGY music) Awarded with Gold
• 2010 "Goud" (NRGY music) Awarded with Gold
• 2007 "Gewoon Gerard" (NRGY music) Awarded with Gold

SINGLES:

• 1985 "Love is in your eyes" (WEA/Warner music Holland)
• 1986 "Ticket to the tropics" (WEA/Warner music Holland)Awarded with Gold & Platinum (#1 Hit NL)
• 1986 "Everybody needs a little rain (Duet Randy Crawford" (WEA/Warner music Holland)
• 1986 "Reach" (WEA/Warner music Holland)
• 1986 "Spanish heart" (WEA/Warner music Holland)
• 1987 "Midnight to midnight" (Philips Holland)
• 1987 "Chain of love" (Mercury records)
• 1987 "In this world" (Mercury records)
• 1987 "Chain of love" (Mercury records)
• 1988 "Read my lips" (Mercury records)
• 1988 "Shangri-La" (Mercury records)(Eurovision song contest Dutch entry)
• 1989 "No more bolero's" (Mercury records)
• 1989 "Stay in my life" (Mercury records)
• 1990 "Corazon" (Mercury records)
• 1990 "Seasons (Duet Julian Hartman)" (Mercury records)
• 1990 "The drum are everywhere" (Mercury records)
• 1991 "Tu solo tu" (Mercury records)
• 1991 "Doo-Wop days" (Mercury records)
• 1991 "Come back my love" (Mercury records)
• 1991 "A christmas prayer (feat: The Jordinaires" (Mercury records)
• 1991 "Fandango in the name of love" (Mercury records)
• 1992 "Can't take my eyes off you (Duet Tatjana)" (Mercury records)
• 1992 "The last goodbeye" (Mercury records)
• 1993 "Chain of love" (Mercury records)
• 1993 "Under the rose" (Mercury records)
• 1994 "Liefde op het eerste gezicht" (Mercury records)
• 1994 "Together again" (Bunny music)
• 1994 "Everlasting love" (Bunny music)
• 1994 "When i need you" (Bunny music)
• 1995 "Zing met me mee" (Bunny music)
• 1995 "Doe 't licht uit" (Bunny music)
• 1995 "Heel even" (Duet Shirley Zwerus) (Bunny music)
• 1995 "Wat ging er mis tussen ons" (Bunny music)
• 1996 "Please come home for christmas" (Bunny music)
• 1997 "Without your love" (Bunny music)
• 1997 "Broadway nights" (Bunny music)
• 1997 "Without your love" (Bunny music)
• 1997 "Cry baby" (Bunny music)
• 1999 "Als ik met je vrij" (Bunny music)
• 2000 "Numero uno"
• 2001 "Disco inferno" (Feat: The Tramps)
• 2001 "Never gonna be the same"
• 2001 "Numero uno"
• 2002 "At your service (feat Jan Rietman)"
• 2002 "Op zoek naar de waarheid"
• 2003 "The lion sleeps tonight"
• 2004 "Don't leave me this way"
• 2004 "Live at the arena medley" (Duet Gordon and Rene Froger) (EMI Music)
• 2004 "Love can change your life" (Duet Karin Bloemen)
• 2005 "Over de top" (Duet Gordon and Rene Froger) (EMI Music)
• 2005 "Toppers party (Duet Gordon and Rene Froger) (EMI Music)
• 2005 "Somewhere over the rainbow"
• 2006 "Als je alles hebt gehad" (Duet Gordon)
• 2004 "Live at the arena medley" (Duet Gordon and Rene Froger) (EMI Music)
• 2006 "Wir sind die Holländer" (Duet Gordon and Rene Froger as Toppers) (EMI Music)
• 2007 "Maak me gek" (NRGY Music) #1 HIT NL.
• 2007 "Blijf bij mij" (Duet André Hazes) (EMI Music)
• 2007 "Can you feel it" (Duet Gordon and Rene Froger as Toppers) (EMI Music)
• 2007 "Maar vanavond" (NRGY Music)
• 2008 "Het is nog niet voorbij" (NRGY Music)
• 2008 "Ik hou d'r zo van" (NRGY Music)
• 2008 "Ik kan niet wachten & het Geheim" (Duet Diego Piet) (NRGY Music)
• 2008 "Laat me alleen" (duet Rita Hovink)(NRGY Music
• 2008 "24 uur verliefd" (NRGY Music)
• 2010 "Engel van mijn hart" (NRGY Music)
• 2010 "Ik leef mijn droom (NRGY Music)
• 2010 "Alweer een goal" (NRGY Music)
• 2007 "Morgen wordt alles amders" ( duet bonnie St.Claire (NRGY Music)

Gallery[link]

• 

  Gerard Joling during the Gay Pride 2009 in Amsterdam

External links[link]

• Gerard Joling (official website)
• Gerard Joling at Allmusic

References[link]

1. ^ Gerard Joling and Gordon back in De Topper. Dutchnews.nl