Torrid zone

The Terrestrial Sphere of Crates of Mallus (c. 150 BCE), showing land masses in both the northern and southern hemispheres of the western hemisphere
Modern world map with the intertropical zone highlighted in crimson

The torrid zone was the name given by ancient Greek and Roman geographers to the equatorial area of the Earth, so hot that it was thought to be impenetrable to sailors or explorers. That notion became a deterrent for European explorers until the 15th century and the notion that the torrid zone was uninhabitable was disproved by the 16th century.

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