CBSE Class 6 Answered

Because the Earth is spherical in shape, different parts of the Earth get heated differently. Based on the heat received from the Sun, the Earth is divided into three heat zones as:

Torrid zone: It is a region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This region receives the direct vertical rays of the Sun almost throughout the year. Therefore, this zone receives maximum heat from the Sun and is known as the torrid or the tropical zone.

Temperate Zone: This zone lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere and between Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere. This zone receives the slanting rays of the Sun as the angle of the Sun’s rays goes on decreasing towards the poles. Thus this zone experiences moderate temperatures.

Frigid Zone: The frigid zone lies between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole and between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole. This zone is also known as the polar region and receives extreme slanting rays of the Sun, keeping the temperature extremely low throughout the year. This is the reason that the polar regions are generally covered with ice.