The CIA World Factbook Edition 2008 Geography
Climate In 36 editions of 36.
Climate was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 2008 edition carries it in 260 entries, in its Geography section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.
- entries in the 2008 edition
- 260
- 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
a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates - bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones - that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates
Africa
56 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)
Burundi
- equatorial;
- high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level);
- average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m;
- average annual rainfall is about 150 cm;
- two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 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, Republic of the now Republic of the Congo
- tropical;
- rainy season (March to June);
- dry season (June to October);
- persistent high temperatures and humidity;
- particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
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)
Eritrea
- hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast;
- cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September);
- semiarid in western hills and lowlands
Gambia, The now The Gambia
- tropical;
- hot, rainy season (June to November);
- cooler, dry season (November to May)
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;
- monsoonal-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)
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
- Saint Helena:
- tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
- Ascension Island:
- tropical marine; mild, semi-arid
- Tristan da Cunha:
- temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
Senegal
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds;
- dry season (December to April) 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
- principally desert;
- northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south;
- southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and 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 is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation;
- Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate;
- higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
- Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul:
- oceanic with persistent westerly winds and high humidity
- Iles Crozet:
- windy, cold, wet, and cloudy
- Iles Kerguelen:
- oceanic,
- cold,
- overcast,
- windy
- Iles Eparses:
- tropical
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
23 entriesBangladesh
- tropical;
- mild winter (October to March);
- hot, humid summer (March to June);
- humid, warm 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
Kyrgyzstan
- dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan;
- subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley);
- temperate in northern foothill zone
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 winters in south
Russia
- ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia;
- subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north;
- winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia;
- summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
Sri Lanka
- tropical monsoon;
- 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)
Costa Rica
- tropical and subtropical;
- dry season (December to April);
- rainy season (May to November);
- cooler in highlands
Cuba
- tropical;
- moderated by trade winds;
- dry season (November to April);
- rainy season (May to October)
Dominican Republic
- tropical maritime;
- little seasonal temperature variation;
- seasonal variation in rainfall
El Salvador
- tropical;
- rainy season (May to October);
- dry season (November to April);
- tropical on coast;
- temperate in uplands
Panama
- tropical maritime;
- hot, humid, cloudy;
- prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Saint Barthelemy
tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
- tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes;
- little seasonal temperature variation;
- rainy season (May to November)
Saint Lucia
- tropical,
- moderated by northeast trade winds;
- dry season January to April,
- rainy season May to August
Saint Martin
- temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long;
- low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers;
- July-Novemeber is the hurricane season
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- tropical;
- little seasonal temperature variation;
- rainy season (May to November)
Virgin Islands
- subtropical,
- tempered by easterly trade winds,
- relatively low humidity,
- little seasonal temperature variation;
- rainy season September to November
Europe
49 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 and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains;
- moderate summers with occasional showers
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- hot summers and cold winters;
- areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters;
- mild, rainy winters along coast
Croatia
- Mediterranean and continental;
- continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters;
- mild winters, dry summers along coast
European Union
- cold temperate;
- potentially subarctic in the north to temperate;
- mild wet winters;
- hot dry summers in the south
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
- metropolitan France:
- generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean;
- occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
- French Guiana:
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- little seasonal temperature variation
- Guadeloupe and Martinique:
- subtropical tempered by trade winds;
- moderately high humidity;
- rainy season (June to October);
- vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average
- Reunion:
- tropical,
- but temperature moderates with elevation;
- cool and dry (May to November),
- hot and rainy (November to April)
Germany
- temperate and marine;
- cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;
- occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Holy See (Vatican City)
- temperate;
- mild,
- rainy winters (September to 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
Kosovo
- influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns;
- Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation;
- maximum rainfall between October and December
Liechtenstein
- continental;
- cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain;
- cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Montenegro
Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland
Macedonia now North Macedonia
warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall
Norway
- temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current;
- colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers;
- 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
Serbia
- in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall);
- in other parts, continental and Mediterranean climate (relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns)
Slovenia
Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east
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
Ukraine
- temperate continental;
- Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast;
- precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast;
- winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland;
- summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south
United Kingdom
- temperate;
- moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current;
- more than one-half of the days are overcast
Middle East
19 entriesIraq
- mostly desert;
- mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers;
- northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq
Lebanon
- Mediterranean;
- mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers;
- Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows
Oman
- 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;
- cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus
West Bank
- temperate;
- temperature and precipitation vary with altitude,
- warm to hot summers,
- cool to mild winters
Yemen
- mostly desert;
- hot and humid along west coast;
- temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon;
- extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east
North America
6 entriesUnited States
- mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest;
- low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Oceania
28 entriesAmerican Samoa
- tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds;
- annual rainfall averages about 3 m;
- rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October);
- little seasonal temperature variation
Cook Islands
- tropical oceanic;
- moderated by trade winds;
- a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March
Guam
- tropical marine;
- generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds;
- dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to December);
- 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 occasionally severe damage
Northern Mariana Islands
- tropical marine;
- moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation;
- dry season December to June, 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 and 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)
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
- Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands:
- equatorial;
- scant rainfall,
- constant wind,
- burning sun
- Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef:
- tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation
- Midway Islands:
- subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October);
- moderated by prevailing easterly winds;
- most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter
- Palmyra Atoll:
- equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year
Vanuatu
- tropical;
- moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October;
- moderate rainfall from November to April;
- may be affected by cyclones from December to April
Wallis and Futuna
- tropical;
- hot, rainy season (November to April);
- cool, dry season (May to October);
- rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity);
- average temperature 26.6 degrees C
South America
13 entriesEcuador
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
- cold marine;
- strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid;
- rain occurs on more than half of days in year;
- average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley;
- 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 August, November to January)
Paraguay
subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
Southeast Asia
19 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 November);
- dry season (December to April);
- little seasonal temperature variation
Christmas Island
tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
Hong Kong
- subtropical 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;
- two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon (June to September);
- inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms
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 (May to September) and warm,
- dry season (October to March)
Oceans
5 entriesArctic Ocean
- polar climate characterized by 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 northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
- planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east;
- trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations;
- tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America;
- continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North 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 landmass back to the ocean;
- tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December
Southern Ocean
- sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius;
- cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean;
- the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth;
- in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius;
- at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 2008, “Climate”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/climate/2008.