Macaronesia

[9] The World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions places the whole of Macaronesia in its botanical continent of Africa.

[10] In 2022, Macaronesia had an estimated combined population of 3,222,054 people; 2,172,944 (67%) in the Canary Islands, 561,901 (17%) in Cape Verde, 250,769 (8%) in Madeira, and 236,440 (7%) in the Azores.

[11][12][13] The name Macaronesia was originally used by Ancient Greek geographers to refer to any islands west of the Strait of Gibraltar.

In alphabetical order, these are:[10] The islands of Macaronesia are volcanic in origin, and are thought to be the product of several geologic hotspots.

Trees of the genera Apollonias, Clethra, Dracaena, Ocotea, Persea, and Picconia, which are found in the Macaronesian laurel forests, are also known, from fossil evidence, to have flourished around the Mediterranean before the ice ages.

Introduced predators – in particular domestic cats, many in feral populations – currently pose one of the most serious threats to the endemic fauna.

[16][unreliable source] Since 2001, the European Union's conservation efforts, mandated by its Natura 2000 regulations, have resulted in the protection of large stretches of land and sea in the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands, totalling 5,000 km2 (1,900 sq mi).