Which climate zone is located near the equator?

The climate zone located near the equator is the tropical zone.

The tropics extend from the Tropic of Cancer at about 23.5° north to the Tropic of Capricorn at about 23.5° south. Because the Sun can appear directly overhead there during part of the year, tropical regions generally receive strong solar energy and remain warm throughout the year, especially at low elevations.

Tropical does not automatically mean rainy rainforest. Tropical climates include tropical rainforest, tropical monsoon, and tropical savanna climates. Rainfall varies with seasonal shifts in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, monsoon winds, ocean currents, and local geography. Some equatorial areas are extremely wet, while others near the equator can be relatively dry.

A useful distinction is that “equatorial” usually describes the area immediately around the Equator or a particularly uniform, wet tropical climate. “Tropical” is the broader zone and includes regions farther north and south, including parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and the Americas.