International Day of the Tropics
Next: June 29, 2027
To the warm middle of the world.
The story
Where it comes from
The International Day of the Tropics marks the launch of the first State of the Tropics report on 29 June 2014. Coordinated by James Cook University in Australia, the report drew on twelve leading research institutions across the tropics and set out to answer a simple question: is life in the tropics getting better? Two years later, with more than 70 countries as co-sponsors, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 70/267, declaring 29 June the International Day of the Tropics.
How it's celebrated
The State of the Tropics project has released several of its reports on the day, and universities, scientists and governments use it to talk about the region's challenges and promise, from rainforests and coral reefs to fast-growing cities. The UN also highlights UNESCO World Heritage sites in the tropics. For anyone in Malaysia or Singapore, which lie wholly within the tropics, it is a day to celebrate home.
Did you know
- The tropics cover about 40% of the Earth's surface but hold around 80% of its land-based biodiversity.
- By 2050 about half of the world's people are expected to live in the tropics.
- The research institutions behind the first report met in Singapore in mid-2011 to plan it.
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