A Comparison of Climates 
T HIS map shows South America with 
its cities and countries placed just as 
far to the north of the Equator as 
they naturally lie to the south of it, 
in order to enable comparison at a glance of 
the climatic relationship between the United 
States and the South American markets. 
The effect is the same as if the map of the 
Western Hemisphere were folded together 
at the Equator and the impression of the 
South American part transferred upon the 
map of North America. The longitudinal 
position of every part of South America is 
thus correct. 
The map at first glance would lead one 
to say that Argentina has a range of cli 
mate equal to that from the City of Mexico 
to Hudson Bay, but the climate of South 
America can’t be judged that way. A cold 
ocean current along the West Coast and a 
warm one along the East Coast greatly 
modify it. The altitudes of parts of the 
continent within the tropical zone also tem 
per the heat. The extreme north of Argen 
tina is described as having the climate of 
Southern Florida. The mean annual tem 
perature at the very southermost part of 
Argentina is said to be about that of Maine 
with a minimum hardly lower than the 
moderate one of Puget Sound and a maxi 
mum no higher than that of Nova Scotia. 
All Argentina is said not to have the ex 
treme range of temperature found in the 
United States. Going to show how greatly 
ocean currents offset latitude, the islands 
of Great Britain are also drawn in on the 
map in their position relative to the 
Equator. London is farther north than the 
northermost spot in the United States ex 
clusive of Alaska. 
(Reprinted by permission of the editor of The Americas, published by the National 
City Bank of New York).