Rainforests occur in both temperate and tropical regions.
The name 'tropische Regenwald' meaning 'tropical rainforest' was first defined in 1898 by A Schimper, a German botanist. Most of the world's rainforests fall either side of the Equator between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. Forests close to the Equator which receive year round drenchings are known as evergreen equatorial rainforests. The further a rainforest is from the equator the greater are the changes in temperature and rainfall. Seasonal changes give rise to semi-deciduous rainforests in which most, and sometimes all, the trees lose their leaves during the dry season.