Final answer:
The tropical zones of the Americas are found between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. The temperate zones are located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the north, and between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the south. Locations beyond the Arctic and Antarctic Circles are considered polar zones.
Step-by-step explanation:
In North America and South America, the tropical zones are the regions between the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees north latitude and the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 degrees south latitude. Because of the tilt of the Earth's axis, these are the furthest points north and south that receive the sun's rays directly overhead at least once a year. Accordingly, the regions just north of the Tropic of Cancer and just south of the Tropic of Capricorn also experience tropical climate characteristics, albeit to a lesser extent.
The temperate zones in North and South America lie outside of these tropical zones, stretching from the Tropic of Cancer up to the Arctic Circle at approximately 66.5 degrees north latitude in the Northern Hemisphere, and from the Tropic of Capricorn down to the Antarctic Circle at approximately 66.5 degrees south latitude in the Southern Hemisphere. These regions experience seasonal changes due to the angle at which sunlight strikes the Earth's surface.
The polar zones are beyond the Arctic and Antarctic Circles and are characterized by consistently cold temperatures