The CIA World Factbook Edition 1991 Geography
Climate In 36 editions of 36.
Climate was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 1991 edition carries it in 247 entries, in its Geography section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.
- entries in the 1991 edition
- 247
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Climate” (1990 to 2025).
the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Climate, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.
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Entries with Climate in each edition
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World
1 entryWorld
two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow temperate zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical climates
Africa
61 entriesAlgeria
- arid to semiarid;
- mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast;
- drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau;
- sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Angola
- semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda;
- north has cool,
- dry season (May to October) and hot,
- rainy season (November to April)
Zaire now Democratic Republic of the Congo
- tropical;
- hot and humid in equatorial river basin;
- cooler and drier in southern highlands;
- cooler and wetter in eastern highlands;
- north of Equator--wet season April to October, dry season December to February;
- south of Equator--wet season November to March, dry season April to October
Congo now Republic of the Congo
- tropical;
- rainy season (March to June);
- dry season (June to October);
- constantly high temperatures and humidity;
- particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Ivory Coast now Cote d'Ivoire
- tropical along coast,
- semiarid in far north;
- three seasons--warm and dry (November to March),
- hot and dry (March to May),
- hot and wet (June to October)
Ethiopia
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation; some areas prone to extended droughts
Ghana
- tropical;
- warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast;
- hot and humid in southwest;
- hot and dry in north
Guinea
- generally hot and humid;
- monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds;
- dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Guinea-Bissau
- tropical;
- generally hot and humid;
- monsoon-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds;
- dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Liberia
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights;
- wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Mali
- subtropical to arid;
- hot and dry February to June;
- rainy, humid, and mild June to November;
- cool and dry November to February
Mauritius
- tropical modified by southeast trade winds;
- warm, dry winter (May to November);
- hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Mayotte
- tropical;
- marine;
- hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May);
- dry season is cooler (May to November)
Reunion
- tropical,
- but moderates with elevation;
- cool and dry from May to November,
- hot and rainy from November to April
Rwanda
- temperate;
- two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January);
- mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Saint Helena now Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
- tropical;
- marine;
- mild, tempered by trade winds
Senegal
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- rainy season (December to April) has strong southeast winds;
- dry season (May to November) dominated by hot, dry harmattan wind
Seychelles
- tropical marine;
- humid;
- cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September);
- warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Sierra Leone
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- summer rainy season (May to December);
- winter dry season (December to April)
Somalia
- desert;
- northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest monsoon (May to October);
- irregular rainfall;
- hot, humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Uganda
- tropical;
- generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August);
- semiarid in northeast
Antarctic Region
5 entriesAntarctica
- severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean;
- East Antarctica colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation;
- Antarctic Peninsula has most moderate climate;
- warmest temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- variable,
- with mostly westerly winds throughout the year,
- interspersed with periods of calm;
- nearly all precipitation falls as snow
Arctic Region
4 entriesSvalbard
- arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current;
- cool summers, cold winters;
- North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
Asia
14 entriesBangladesh
- tropical;
- cool, dry winter (October to March);
- hot, humid summer (March to June);
- cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
Bhutan
- varies;
- tropical in southern plains;
- cool winters and hot summers in central valleys;
- severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Maldives
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- dry, northeast monsoon (November to March);
- rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Nepal
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winter in south
Sri Lanka
- tropical;
- monsoonal;
- northeast monsoon (December to March);
- southwest monsoon (June to October)
Central America and the Caribbean
32 entriesCayman Islands
- tropical marine;
- warm,
- rainy summers (May to October) and cool,
- relatively dry winters (November to April)
Cuba
- tropical;
- moderated by trade winds;
- dry season (November to April);
- rainy season (May to October)
Panama
- tropical;
- hot, humid, cloudy;
- prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
- subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes;
- little seasonal temperature variation;
- rainy season (May to November)
Saint Lucia
- tropical,
- moderated by northeast trade winds;
- dry season from January to April,
- rainy season from May to August
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- tropical;
- little seasonal temperature variation;
- rainy season (May to November)
Virgin Islands
- subtropical,
- tempered by easterly tradewinds,
- relatively low humidity,
- little seasonal temperature variation;
- rainy season May to November
Europe
36 entriesAlbania
- mild temperate;
- cool, cloudy, wet winters;
- hot, clear, dry summers;
- interior is cooler and wetter
Austria
- temperate;
- continental, cloudy;
- cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains;
- cool summers with occasional showers
Finland
cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
France
generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean
Germany
- temperate and marine;
- cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;
- occasional warm, tropical foehn wind;
- high relative humidity
Vatican City now Holy See (Vatican City)
- temperate;
- mild,
- rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot,
- dry summers (May to September)
Ireland
- temperate maritime;
- modified by North Atlantic Current;
- mild winters, cool summers;
- consistently humid;
- overcast about half the time
Liechtenstein
- continental;
- cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain;
- cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Norway
- temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current;
- colder interior;
- rainy year-round on west coast
Poland
- temperate with cold,
- cloudy,
- moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation;
- mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Romania
- temperate;
- cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog;
- sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
Soviet Union
- mostly temperate to arctic continental;
- winters vary from cool along Black Sea to frigid in Siberia;
- summers vary from hot in southern deserts to cool along Arctic coast
Spain
- temperate;
- clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast;
- cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Sweden
- temperate in south with cold,
- cloudy winters and cool,
- partly cloudy summers;
- subarctic in north
Switzerland
- temperate, but varies with altitude;
- cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters;
- cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
United Kingdom
- temperate;
- moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current;
- more than half of the days are overcast
Yugoslavia
- temperate;
- hot, relatively dry summers with mild, rainy winters along coast;
- warm summer with cold winters inland
Middle East
18 entriesOman
- dry desert;
- hot, humid along coast;
- hot, dry interior;
- strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Syria
- mostly desert;
- hot,
- dry,
- sunny summers (June to August) and mild,
- rainy winters (December to February) along coast
West Bank
- temperate,
- temperature and precipitation vary with altitude,
- warm to hot summers,
- cool to mild winters
Yemen
- desert;
- hot and humid along west coast;
- temperate in western mountains;
- extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east
North America
6 entriesUnited States
- mostly temperate,
- but varies from tropical (Hawaii) to arctic (Alaska);
- arid to semiarid in west with occasional warm,
- dry chinook wind
Oceania
34 entriesAmerican Samoa
- tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds;
- annual rainfall averages 124 inches;
- rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October;
- little seasonal temperature variation
Guam
- tropical marine;
- generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds;
- dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December;
- little seasonal temperature variation
Johnston Atoll
tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation
Micronesia, Federated States of now Federated States of Micronesia
- tropical;
- heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands;
- located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasional severe damage
Northern Mariana Islands
- tropical marine;
- moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation;
- dry season December to July, rainy season July to October
Papua New Guinea
- tropical;
- northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October);
- slight seasonal temperature variation
Pitcairn Islands
- tropical,
- hot,
- humid,
- modified by southeast trade winds;
- rainy season (November to March)
Tonga
- tropical;
- modified by trade winds;
- warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Tuvalu
- tropical;
- moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
- westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Wallis and Futuna
- tropical;
- hot, rainy season (November to April);
- cool, dry season (May to October)
South America
14 entriesFalkland Islands now Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
- cold marine;
- strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid;
- rain occurs on more than half of days in year;
- occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate
Guyana
- tropical;
- hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds;
- two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Southeast Asia
18 entriesBurma now Burma (Myanmar)
- tropical monsoon;
- cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September);
- less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)
Cambodia
- tropical;
- rainy, monsoon season (May to October);
- dry season (December to March);
- little seasonal temperature variation
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; moderate rainfall
Hong Kong
- tropical monsoon;
- cool and humid in winter,
- hot and rainy from spring through summer,
- warm and sunny in fall
Philippines
- tropical marine;
- northeast monsoon (November to April);
- southwest monsoon (May to October)
Singapore
- tropical;
- hot, humid, rainy;
- no pronounced rainy or dry seasons;
- thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Taiwan
- tropical;
- marine;
- rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August);
- cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Thailand
- tropical;
- rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September);
- dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);
- southern isthmus always hot and humid
Vietnam
- tropical in south;
- monsoonal in north with hot,
- rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm,
- dry season (mid-October to mid-March)
Oceans
4 entriesArctic Ocean
- persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges;
- winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies;
- summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow
Atlantic Ocean
- tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea;
- hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November
Indian Ocean
- northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October);
- tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the north Indian Ocean and January/February in the south Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
the western Pacific is monsoonal--a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian land mass back to the ocean
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 1991, “Climate”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/climate/1991.