Which of the following locations experiences the highest solar intensity?

The tropics experience the highest solar intensity due to their location near the equator, where the sun's rays strike the Earth more directly than at higher latitudes. This direct overhead sunlight results in less atmospheric scattering and absorption, allowing more solar energy to reach the surface. The angle of the sun is consistently high in the tropics throughout the year, maintaining a higher average temperature and maximizing the amount of solar energy.

In contrast, locations like the poles receive sunlight at a much lower angle, which spreads the solar energy over a larger area, reducing its intensity. Similarly, temperate zones experience varying solar intensity throughout the year due to the change in sun angle with the seasons, leading to lower overall intensities compared to the tropics. Desert regions, while they can receive high amounts of solar energy, are still located in the broader context of specific latitudinal zones and typically do not match the intensity experienced in the tropics where solar radiation is most concentrated year-round.