e, however, marked
in the temperate zone, while absent in the tropics. The curves for the
Scilly Isles and for Thorshavn, Faroe Islands, illustrate the insular
type of temperature on the west coasts (fig. 11). The annual march of
rainfall, with the marked maximum in the fall and winter which is
characteristic of the marine regime, is illustrated in the curve for
north-western Europe (fig. 12). On the northern Pacific coast of North
America the distribution is similar, and in the southern hemisphere the
western coasts of southern South America, Tasmania and New Zealand show
the same type. The cloudiness and relative humidity average high on
western coasts, with the maximum in the colder season.

[Illustration: FIG. 11.--Annual March of Temperature for Selected
Stations in the Temperate Zones.

S. I., Scilly Isles.
P, Prague.
C, Charkow.
S, Semipalatinsk.
K, Kiakta.
B, Blagovyeshchensk.
Sa, Sakhalin.
T, Thorshavn.
Y, Yakutsk.]

[Illustration: FIG. 12.--Annual March of Rainfall: Temperate Zone. C.E.
Central Europe; A. Northern Asia; N.A. Atlantic coast of North
America; N.W.E. North-west Europe.]

The west coasts therefore, including the important climatic province of
western Europe, and the coast provinces of north-western North America,
New Zealand and southern Chile, have as a whole mild winters, equable
temperatures, small ranges, and abundant rainfall, fairly well
distributed through the year. The summers are relatively cool.

_Continental Interiors._--The equable climate of the western coasts
changes, gradually or suddenly, into the more extreme climates of the
interiors. In Europe, where no high mountain ranges intervene, the
transition is gradual, and broad stretches of country have the benefits
of the tempering influence of the Atlantic. In North America the change
is abrupt, and comes on crossing the lofty western mountain barrier. The
curves in fig. 11 illustrate well the gradually increasing
continentality of the climate with increasing distance inland in
Eurasia.

The continental interiors of the north temperate zone have the greatest
extremes in the world. Towards the Arctic circle the winters are
extremely severe, and January mean temperatures of -10 deg. and -20 deg.
occur over considerable areas. At the cold pole of north-eastern Siberia
a January mean of -60 deg. is found. Mean minimum temperatures of -40
deg. occur in the area from eastern Russia, over Siberia and