4.1.5.10 Temperate and cold climates: Mediterranean, China type, west European, taiga and tundra

Poleward of the tropics, climates are shaped by the westerlies, the subtropical highs and the size of the continents: western margins get Mediterranean and west European climates, eastern margins get the China type, and the great northern landmasses carry the taiga and, beyond it, the tundra and ice caps.