受季风气候和海陆分布的影响,中国热带不如其他热带国家那样典型,热带界线也不够规则和明显,大致有如下特点:(1)热带地区分散,不连续;(2)东西跨度大,从台湾到滇南热带的跨度长达2500km,而面积只有80000km2;(3)北部热带界线从形态上呈断续和凹凸状;(4)东段和西段自然条件差异大,东部为丘陵、台地、海岸带、岛屿、半岛、海洋,橡胶主要种在丘陵、台地上;西部为内陆、高山、深谷、坝子,橡胶作物主要种在山坡和坝子上。根据自然和社会条件的不同,将中国热带从东到西分为四个区:(1)台湾南部;(2)海南和雷州半岛;(3)滇南;(4)南海诸岛。
Tropical regions are discontinuously distributed in South and Southwest China, spanning a range of some 2 500 km from South Taiwan to South Yunnan, and covering an area of about 80 thousand km2. Owing to the influences of monsoon climate, landform and distribution of land and sea, the north limits of tropical China are winding, convex to the north or concave to the south in different places. Consisting of islands, peninsulas and coastal and sea areas, the eastern part of tropical China is characterized by its extensively distributed platforms and hills, and its maritime features, while the western part, situated at the south edge of Yunnan Plateau, is chara-cterized by its high mountains, deep valleys and basins, and its more continental climate. Acco-rding to different natural and social conditions, tropical China can be divided into four regions:(L) South Taiwan; (2) Hainan Island and Leizhou Peninsula; (3) South Yunnan; (4) Nan-hai (South China Sea) Islands.
