Geography Chapter 06: Human Environment Interactions - Tropical and Subtropical Region

The tropical region lies very close to the equator; between 10°N and 10°S. So, it is referred to as the equatorial region. The river Amazon flows through this region. It flows from the mountains to the west and reaches the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Numerous tributaries join the Amazon River to form the Amazon basin.

The Amazon Basin stretches directly on the equator and is characterized by hot and wet climate throughout the year. Both day and nights are almost equally hot and humid. As it rains heavily in this region, thick forests grow. The rainforest is rich in fauna. People grow most of their food in small areas after clearing some trees in the forest.

The tributaries of rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra together form the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin in the Indian subcontinent. The basin lies in the sub-tropical region that is situated between 10°N to 30°N latitudes.

The area is dominated by monsoon climate. The monsoon brings rains from mid-June to mid-September. The summers are hot and the winters cool. Wheat, maize, sorghum, gram and millets are the other crops that are grown. Cash crops like sugarcane and jute are also grown. There is a variety of wildlife in the basin. Elephants, tigers, deer and monkeys are common.