Brazil has a large variety of climates due to its immense size, stretching from 5 degrees north of the equator to 30 degrees south. While the Amazon basin near the equator has regular temperatures and rainfall distributed throughout the year, the northeast has a semi-arid climate with highly variable rainfall between 500mm annually and drought years with torrential rain bringing flash floods. In contrast, the southeast coast including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo near the Tropic of Capricorn has a pleasant sub-tropical to warm temperate climate, which attracts many people to these cities known for their beaches and as homes to skilled soccer players.