The seasonal cycle of water vapor in the lower stratosphere is studied based on Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) satellite observations spanning 1991--2000. The seasonal cycle highlights fast, quasi-horizontal transport between tropics and midlatitudes in the lowermost stratosphere (near isentropic levels ~380--420 K), in addition to vertical propagation above the equator (the tropical tape recorder). The rapid isentropic transport out of the tropics produces a layer of relatively dry air over most of the globe throughout the year, and the seasonal cycle in midlatitudes of both hemispheres (and over the Arctic pole) follows that in the tropics. Additionally, the Northern Hemisphere summer monsoon has a dominant influence on hemispheric-scale constituent transport. Longitudinal structures in tropical water vapor and ozone identify regions of strong coupling to the troposphere; an intriguing result is that the solstice minima in water vapor and ozone are spatial separated from maximum convection and coldest tropical temperatures. Detailed comparisons with tropical aircraft measurements and the long record of balloon data from Boulder, Colorado, demonstrate the overall high quality of HALOE water vapor data. ¿ 2001 American Geophysical Union