The temperate zone is a region on Earth that lies between the subtropical and polar regions. It is located between 23.5 degrees and 66.5 degrees in the north and south hemispheres. The north temperate zone extends from the Arctic Circle to the Tropic of Cancer, while the south temperate zone extends from the Antarctic Circle to the Tropic of Capricorn. The temperature in the temperate zone varies greatly between the summer and winter seasons, and the four annual seasons in the temperate zones are winter, autumn, summer, and spring seasons. The temperate zone is one of the three heat zones of the Earth, and it receives less sunlight in comparison to the torrid zone. Some of the regions located in the temperate zones are Northern Middle East, the Levant region, Southern Africa, and many other countries. The Köppen climate classification defines a climate as "temperate" C, when the mean temperature is above −3 °C (26.6 °F) but below 18 °C (64.4 °F) in the coldest month to account for the persistency of frost.