To know the meaning of the term tropical, we will begin by determining its etymological origin. In this case, it derives from the Greek because it is the result of the sum of two well-differentiated parts:
-The noun “tropikos”, which is synonymous with “return.
-The suffix “-al”, which is used to indicate “related to”.
Tropical is what is connected with the tropics. On the other hand, the two parallels of the Earth that correspond to the parallels of the celestial sphere and that are located at 23º 27′ north and south of the equator are called tropics. In the Northern Hemisphere is the Tropic of Cancer, while in the Southern Hemisphere is the Tropic of Capricorn. Mexico, Bahamas, Brazil and Australia are some of the countries that traverse these tropics.
The region between the two tropics is called the intertropical zone. The notion of tropical climate, in turn, refers to the climatic conditions that characterize the intertropical zone. The tropical climate is characterized by an average temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, with low temperature fluctuations throughout the year. For this reason, it is said that in tropical areas there is no winter, since there is no intense cold and there is never frost or snow. The forests of the intertropical zone, on the other hand, are known as tropical forests. When the rain forest is very rainy, it is called tropical forest. The exuberance of the vegetation and the warm climate characteristic of these areas make tropical an adjective that describes a certain type of clothing, a musical style and other issues. A tropical shirt, in this sense, is one with a floral print. Cumbia, salsa, and merengue, on the other hand, are often mentioned as part of tropical music. Bob Marley, Tito Puente, Tony Vega, Johny Rivera, Oscar D’Leon, Manny Manuel, Cheo Feliciano or even Celia Cruz are some of the artists considered key figures of the so-called tropical music. In addition to all this, it is worth mentioning that tropical is a word that appears in different titles of cultural products. An example of this is the film “Tropical Malady”, released in 2004 and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival that same year and intertwines several stories, such as that of a love affair between two young people or that of a soldier who gets lost in the middle of the jungle. Also, don’t ignore “Tropical Tribute to the Beatles.” It is an album from the 90s in which great singers of the aforementioned tropical genre, such as Domingo Quiñones or Celia Cruz, performed some of the mythical songs of the aforementioned London band.
