Clouds affect climate by blocking the
amount of heat received from the sun
A weather balloon is released at a weather
station at the South Pole.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Climate 137
during the day. During the night, clouds
keep heat from escaping into space.
Finally, human activities may affect climate.
When people burn fuels such as
oil and coal to run cars and heat homes,
the fuels release certain gases into the air.
These gases trap heat on Earth. Some
scientists think that Earth is slowly getting
warmer and that this may be
because of the extra gases in the air. This
idea is known as global warming.
Types of Climates
No two places on Earth have exactly the
same climate. Nevertheless, many climates
are similar to one another. Some
of these general types of climates are
tropical, subtropical, cyclonic, polar, and
highland.
Tropical climates are warm all year and
have no winter. They lie near the equator.
Some tropical climates have a lot of
rain. Others are dry.
Subtropical climates are found north
and south of the tropical climates. They
have a greater range of temperatures
than tropical climates. They also may be
humid or dry.
Cyclonic climates are found mostly
north of the equator. In these climates,
cold air from the north mixes with
warm tropical air from the south. This
mixing often causes rain and snow.
Cyclonic climates usually have warmer
summers and colder winters.
Polar climates are very cold. Snow and
ice often covers the land. Some polar
areas always have a layer of frost, called
permafrost, below the soil.
Highland climates have a great range of
temperature between day and night.
They tend to be humid and cooler than
the lower lands nearby.
#More to explore
GlobalWarming •Weather
Clinton, Bill
The 42nd president of the United
States, Bill Clinton served two terms,
from 1993 to 2001. A popular leader,
Clinton oversaw a growing economy.
However, he was also the second U.S.
president to be impeached, or officially
charged with a crime. (The first was
Andrew Johnson in 1868.)
Early Life
William Jefferson Blythe III was born on
August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas.
His father died in an automobile acci-
A village in northern Tunisia has warm and
sunny summers. Many people take vacations
in places with pleasant climates.
138 Clinton, Bill BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
dent before Bill was born. His mother,
Virginia Dell Blythe, later married
Roger Clinton, and Bill took his stepfather’s
name.
Clinton graduated from Georgetown
University inWashington, D.C., in
1968. He then attended Oxford University
in England. In 1973 he earned a law
degree from Yale University. In 1975
Clinton married Hillary Rodham, a
fellow graduate of Yale Law School.
They had one daughter.
Political Career
In 1974 Clinton ran for a seat in the
U.S. House of Representatives but lost.
Two years later he was elected attorney
general of Arkansas. In 1978 he became
governor. Clinton lost the election of
1980 but won again two years later. Voters
reelected him three more times. As
governor, Clinton reformed Arkansas’s
educational and tax systems.
Presidency
Clinton became the Democratic candidate
for president in 1992. He chose
Senator Al Gore as his vice presidential
running mate. Clinton defeated his
Republican opponent, President George
Bush. He took office in January 1993.
Clinton’s first term had many successes.
He appointed women and minorities to
August 19,
1946 1978 1992 1996 1998 1999 2001
Clinton is born
in Hope,
Arkansas.
Clinton is
elected
governor of
Arkansas.
Clinton defeats
George Bush
to win his
first term as
president.
Clinton defeats
Bob Dole to
win a second
term.
The U.S.
House of
Representatives
impeaches
Clinton.
The U.S.
Senate rules
that Clinton is
not guilty.
Clinton retires
as president.
T I M E L I N E
Bill Clinton was the 42nd president
of the United States.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Clinton, Bill 139
important posts. He oversaw a major
trade agreement between the United
States, Canada, and Mexico. He
attended peace talks between Israel and
the Palestinians in the Middle East. He
also sent U.S. peacekeeping forces to
Bosnia and Herzegovina after that
country’s civil war.
However, Clinton’s plan for a health
care system failed. He and his wife also
became linked to a business scandal
known as the Whitewater affair. Nevertheless,
Clinton defeated Republican
Bob Dole in the 1996 election. Many
people were happy with Clinton because
the economy was doing very well.
In 1998 the public learned that Clinton
had had an improper relationship with a
young worker at the White House. The
U.S. House of Representatives voted to
impeach the president, or charge him
with crimes. The House charged the
president with lying under oath and
trying to stop the investigation of the
affair. In 1999 the Senate found Clinton
not guilty.
Despite his impeachment, Clinton
remained popular. He spent his last year
as president working for peace
agreements in the Middle East and in
Northern Ireland. Clinton’s vice
president, Gore, lost the 2000 election
to the Republican candidate, George W.
Bush.
#More to explore
Bush, George • Bush, GeorgeW.
• Johnson, Andrew
Clock
