editerranean province embraces many
varieties of climate, but the dominant characteristics are the mild
temperatures, except on the higher elevations, and the sub-tropical
rains.

On the west coasts of the two Americas the sub-tropical belt of winter
rains is clearly seen in California and in northern Chile, on the west
of the coast mountain ranges. Between the region which has rain
throughout the year from the stormy westerlies, and the districts which
are permanently arid under the trades, there is an indefinite belt over
which rains fall in winter. In southern Africa, which is controlled by
the high pressure areas of the South Atlantic and south Indian oceans,
the south-western coastal belt has winter rains, decreasing to the
north, while the east coast and adjoining interior have summer rains,
from the south-east trade. Southern Australia is climatically similar to
South Africa. In summer the trades give rainfall on the eastern coast,
decreasing inland. In winter the westerlies give moderate rains, chiefly
on the south-western coast.

The sub-tropical climates follow the tropical high pressure belts across
the oceans, but they do not retain their distinctive character far
inland from the west coasts of the continents (except in the
Mediterranean case), nor on the east coasts. On the latter, summer
monsoons and the occurrence of general summer rains interfere, as in
eastern Asia and in Florida.

[Illustration: FIG. 8.--Annual March of Rainfall: Sub-tropical Type.
W.A, Western Australia: M, Malta.]

Strictly winter rains are typical of the coasts and islands of this
belt. The more continental areas have a tendency to spring and autumn
rains. The rainy and dry seasons are most marked at the equatorward
margins of the belt. With increasing latitude, the rain is more evenly
distributed through the year, the summer becoming more and more rainy
until, in the continental interiors of the higher latitudes, the summer
becomes the season of maximum rainfall. The monthly distribution of
rainfall in two sub-tropical regions is shown in the accompanying curves
for Malta and for Western Australia (fig. 8). In Alexandria the dry
season lasts nearly eight months; in Palestine, from six to seven
months; in Greece, about four months. The sub-tropical rains are
peculiarly well developed on the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

The winter rains which migrate equatorward are separated by the Sahara
from the equatorial rains