The temperatures at the equator remain warm year round because

A) Earth's natural curvature places the equator nearer to the sun.
B) the sun shines longer over the equator than it does over other parts of Earth.
C) sunlight strikes the equator relatively directly with little seasonal variation.
D) there are large oceans near the equator that absorb large amounts of heat.
E) Earth's rotation on a tilted axis creates more atmospheric friction at the equator.