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Planet Earth has an enormous natural wealth. In it there are territories defined by characteristics related to nature that make them unique. Thanks to these natural regions and the relationships that exist in them between their living organisms and the environment, there is a natural balance that makes life possible on the planet.
In Green Ecologist we are going to talk to you about what is a natural region, what are they and their characteristics. We will show some examples of those that we can find distributed in various corners of our planet and, in addition, we will talk about the continental natural regions and how they are delimited.
What are natural regions and their characteristics - definition
The natural regions are geographic areas within a continent or country which are determined mainly by characteristics of its nature. These are some of the characteristics of natural regions or by which they are defined: their relief, the wild fauna and flora that inhabit the area, its climate, its hydrography and its soil type, among other aspects.
Natural regions can be divided into different types according to different aspects to observe and their characteristics. This is one of the main classifications of natural regions:
Orographic regions
- Mountain regions.
- Plains regions.
- Plateau regions.
- Hills regions.
Climatic regions
- Intertropical zone.
- Temperate areas.
- Polar zones.
Phytogeographic regions
- Scrub.
- Bed sheet.
- Wet jungle.
- Etc.
What are continental natural regions - summary
The planet Earth is divided into two hemispheres, the north and the south, and is also divided into 6 continents (America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Antarctica) and each one is formed by different zones or differentiated natural regions that are known as continental natural regions.
If you wonder what are the continental natural regions, we indicate as examples, on the one hand, the natural regions of Mexico, natural regions of Peru, natural regions of Colombia, natural regions of Venezuela that, although they are different regions, all of them are part of the natural regions of America. On the other hand, among the natural regions of Spain the region of the Mediterranean area stands out, which is part of the natural regions of Europe.
To learn more about this topic, we recommend that you enter these other articles on What are the natural regions of Mexico and the Andean Region: characteristics, flora and fauna.
What are the natural regions - examples
These are some examples of natural regions What can we find:
Forest
There are different types of forests distributed throughout the planet, from boreal forests located in areas characterized by cold climates and are closer to the poles, to tropical forests with warmer temperatures closer to the equator. They are classified by the type of trees in deciduous forest, evergreen, coniferous, tropical and eucalyptus. Find out more about the different types of forests with this other article by Green Ecologist.
Tundra
There are two types of tundra, the alpine and the arctic. The alpine tundra is mostly located in China, Tibet and India and has a cold climate with abundant snowfall and strong winds. The other type of tundra, the arctic, is found in parts of the northern hemisphere and remains frozen for much of the year. Here you can see more information about the Tundra: characteristics, flora and fauna.
bed sheet
On our planet we can find different types of savannas: temperate savanna, from the intertropical zone, Mediterranean and mountainous. They are classified depending on factors such as temperature, biodiversity or the type of soil. They are located in the southern hemisphere of the planet, mainly in Africa and also in South America, Australia and India. We recommend reading these other articles to learn more about the Savannah Ecosystem: characteristics, flora and fauna and the Palm Savannah: characteristics, flora and fauna.
Desert
In general, these types of regions are areas characterized by their scarcity of water and rain and, the vast majority, present warm temperatures or very extreme heat; however, there are also cold deserts such as the Antarctic desert. They are areas that present a scarce biodiversity due to the extreme temperatures that occur and those that inhabit these places, have adaptations to be able to survive. For example, in hot deserts, cacti are found that store water in their stems and do not have leaves as such, to avoid water loss. On the other hand, in cold deserts, it is usually inhabited by microscopic animals. Here you can learn about the hot desert: Ecosystem of the desert, its characteristics, flora and fauna.
Prairies or grasslands
They are open areas with a flat relief where herbs predominate and their vegetation is maintained throughout the year. There are grasslands characterized by a cool and mild climate, such as those found in northwestern Europe. Although you can also find prairies with warmer climates, called temperate prairies in which there is seasonal variation in temperature during the year, that is, cold winters and hot summers. Finally, there are also the tropical grasslands or savannas. Discover the Prairie Animals in this other article.
Jungle
The jungle is a type of forest characteristic of tropical countries, formed by large trees that grow very close to each other. They are very humid areas due to their high temperatures and abundant rains. In addition to presenting a great diversity of species. Here you can learn more about the jungle ecosystem and its characteristics.
Mediterranean region
It is located between latitudes 30 and 40, stretching from east to west from Portugal to Lebanon, and from north to south from Italy to Morocco and Libya. Its climates are characterized by mild winters and hot, dry summers. Although its rainfall is not very strong, in this region torrential rains can occur at any time of the year. If you want to get to know this natural region better, read about the temperate Mediterranean climate and about the Mediterranean Forest: characteristics, flora and fauna.
Equatorial region
Extending along the equator, it includes territories such as the Congo Basin, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea and the coasts of Guinea in Malaysia and Africa and that of Guyana in South America. Its climate is humid, with high temperatures and very abundant rainfall throughout the year.
How continental natural regions are delimited
To finish talking about natural regions, we are going to explain how continental natural regions are delimited. The continental natural regions They have been delimited taking into account both the distribution and the diversity of all the natural components of that geographical area, such as:
- The relief.
- The flora.
- The fauna.
- Hydrography.
- Edaphology.
If you want to read more articles similar to Natural regions: what are they, what are they and their characteristics, we recommend that you enter our Ecosystems category.
