The tropic of cancer (23 Degree 30 Minutes North) divides
India into nearly two equal parts. The southern half lies in
the hot tropical zone whereas the northern half lies in the
warm temperate/ sub tropical zone.
ii. Temperature generally decreases with increasing latitude.
The tropical part (peninsular India) of India being near to the
equator has warm and tropical climatic conditions with no
distinct winter. The sub tropical part (northern India) has a
more or less extreme climate i.e. hot summers and cold
winters. This variation in climate from warm Kerala to cold
Kashmir is mainly due to large latitudinal extent.
iii. The difference in the duration of day and night also
increases from South to North. It is less than one hour
difference (about 45 minutes) at Kanyakumari but reaches
nearly 5 hours in the extreme north of Kashmir.