A warm temperate climate of the western margins of continents between about 30 and 45° latitude, marked by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
- Found on the western sides of continents in the subtropics: the lands around the Mediterranean Sea, central California, central Chile, the Cape region of South Africa, and south-western and southern Australia.
- Summers are hot and dry (the subtropical high-pressure belt shifts poleward); winters are mild and wet (the westerlies and their depressions shift equatorward) so the rainfall is winter rainfall.
- Natural vegetation is drought-resistant scrub and woodland with thick bark, small waxy leaves, and deep roots (called maquis, chaparral, or mallee in different regions).
- Famous for fruit cultivation: citrus (oranges, lemons), grapes (and wine), olives, and figs; hence often called the land of "Mediterranean fruits".
- The dry summers and shrubby vegetation make these regions prone to wildfires.
The west-coast subtropical location, the unusual winter rainfall, the drought-adapted vegetation, and the citrus-grape-olive cultivation are recurring world-climate facts and matching items.
Mediterranean climate has winter rain and dry summers (unlike most other climates, where summer is the rainier season). It lies on the western continental margins, while the east coasts at the same latitude have a warmer, summer-rain climate.
Warm temperate west-coast climate with hot dry summers and mild wet winters; citrus, grapes, and olives; scrub vegetation (maquis, chaparral).