One often hears people talk of 'The Tropics', what is that? Well, to be technical is is any latitude on earth that is between 23 degrees 26 minutes north or south of the equator. So in effect, about 1/4 of the world is 'in the tropics'.
The map makers have made it easy for us, they mark the tropics on most maps. The northern boundary is the Tropic of Cancer, the southern is the Tropic of Capricorn.
Hawaii, Mexico City, Cuba and Mumbai are all just inside the northern tropic, [Cancer]. And Tahiti, Zimbabwe, Mauritius are just inside Capricorn. Alice Springs Australia just about sits on the tropic of Capricorn.
Virtually all of the South Pacific Islands are within the tropics. Surprisingly, Spain, North Africa, the Canaries, Madeira and Bermuda are well outside the tropics, although their climate may be 'tropical'
Obviously Equator is on the equator. So is Singapore, just about, and it runs through Kenya.
The closer one gets to the equator, the less the variation of length of days with the summer and winter seasons. In theory, on the equator there should not be any variation in day and night duration at the equator. However I believe there is variation due to the tilt of the earth. I can be corrected on that.
Did you know that water runs down in a different vortex direction north and south of the equator? Cyclones also turn in opposite direction north and south of the equator. [Counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern.]
At one time, the ships officers and crew would wear their blue uniforms at sea until they hit 'the tropics' then they put on their 'whites'. Same with men and dinner jackets, white in the tropics. However now you can wear what you want and no one knows or cares. I do, but this time I did not bring my white dinner jacket, too much luggage for a short time.
E&OE [Errors and omissions excepted].
And now you know... But you knew all that stuff anyhow, didn't you, particularly about the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?
There will be a short quiz at the end of the vacation, it will count as 25% of your grades for this semester.
Now that we are in the Tropics, our attire and attitude has changed somewhat, life is a bit cheerier. Tomorrow, Barbados, only our second day ashore in 10 days aboard. We saw a ship today, the first since leaving Madeira.
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