Climate is called the weather mode which remains characteristic of a certain area for many years. Formation of climate is defined by a set of various factors.
One of the main climate factors – a geographical location of the area. The quantity of the received solar energy depends on it. The more the corner under which sunshine fall to the Ground the is warmer climate. In the most advantageous position from this point of view there is an equator, and least of all solar energy receive Earth poles. For this reason the equatorial climate is the warmest, and the closer to poles – the more cold.
Other important factor proximity of the sea. Water heats up and cools down more slowly, than the land, influencing also adjacent regions of sushi. Big temperature differences between seasons are not characteristic of sea climate which takes place in coastal areas: the winter is quite warm, and the summer is not hot and droughty. In the areas located in the depth of continents the continental climate dominates: cold winter, hot summer.
The climate moderate and continental is intermediate. The unevenness of heating of the earth's surface sun generates differences in atmospheric pressure thanks to which there are constant winds. They affect climate too.
In the equatorial belt there is an area of high pressure, and in tropics – low. Thanks to this distinction there are trade winds – constant winds which are directed from tropics to the equator and deviate to the West. Trade winds of the northern hemisphere arise over the land and bring dry air to Africa – therefore there was a Sahara Desert. Trade winds of the Southern hemisphere arise over the Indian Ocean and bring numerous precipitation on east coast of Africa and Australia. From polar regions of high pressure towards midlatitudes the constant east winds bearing dry cold air blow. Ocean currents have not less impact on climate. For example, the warm Gulf Stream Current not the climate of Northern Europe has the softening impact therefore average annual temperature in Norway is much higher, than on the North American peninsula of Labrador located in the same latitudes. The climate of certain areas, as well as Earth in general, does not remain invariable. It is connected, in particular, with the Sun: 4 billion years ago it radiated much less energy, than now. Temperature at which water can exist in liquid state was supported on Earth only thanks to greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide. The solar activity periodically changes. In 1645-1715 its record decrease known as "Maunder's minimum" was observed. It caused is general the cold snap on all Earth which caused crop failures and, as a result, hunger and social shocks. The climate is affected also by anthropogenic factors. It is not only about the modern industrial emissions creating greenhouse effect – examples of anthropogenic climate changes can be found also in the past. For example, since the end of 14 century the climate of Europe becomes colder. It was the mediated result of grandiose epidemic of plague: the population of Europe decreased twice, as a result of it deforestation decreased, oxygen content in the atmosphere increased, as led to a cold snap.