In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar regions. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold.

However, in certain areas, such as Asia and central North America, the variations between summer and winter can be extreme because these areas are far away from the sea, causing them to have a continental climate. In regions traditionally considered tropical, localities at high altitudes (e.g. parts of the Andes) may have a temperate climate.

The north temperate zone extends from the Tropic of Cancer (at about 23.5 degrees north latitude) to the Arctic Circle (at approximately 66.5 degrees north latitude). The south temperate zone extends from the Tropic of Capricorn (at approximately 23.5 degrees south latitude) to the Antarctic Circle (at approximately 66.5 degrees south latitude).

In a very broad sense, temperate climate also includes a subtropical climate, variants: subtropical semidesert/desert, humid subtropical, oceanic subtropical and Mediterranean climate. However, a typical temperate climate is one of the four climate zones in the world, beside polar regions (subarctic climate, arctic climate, tundra climate, ice cap climate) and the subtropics, tropics.