They are 36 areas in the world that meet two criteria:
This hotspot covers the entire Mediterranean Coast, spanning over 20 countries and some achipielago such as the Canary Islands in Spain. The protagonist of this hotspot in our illustrations is the Iberian Lynx, endemic to Spain and Portugal.
After being at the edge of extinction at the beginning of the century, with only 94 individuals left. As of June 2024, the Lynx is classified as VULNERABLE.
Found entirely in South Africa and Namibia, the Succulent Karoo is one of two arid hotspots in the world. Its protagonist is the Nama Dwarf Tortoise, labelled as VULNERABLE according to the IUCN.
This hotspot is found in the countries of South Africa, Mozambique, and Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). Its protagonist is the black rhino, of which fewer than 5,000 remain in the world. The black rhino is classified as CRITICALLY ENDANGERED by the IUCN.
This hotspot is found in the South African provinces of the Northern Cape, the Eastern Cape, and the Western Cape, where Cape Town is located. The protagonist of this hotspot is the King Protea, South Africa’s national flower.
The Tropical Andes is the most diverse hotspot in the world. It was also the first to be catalogued. It covers the countries of Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and Bolivia. Its protagonist in our illustartion is the Blue-Bearded Helmetcrest, endemic to a small area of Colombia. It is classified as CRITICALLY ENDANGERED by the IUCN, with some considering the bird as extinct.
The Valdivian Forest is found in south-central Chile and the western end of Patagonia in Argentina along the Andean mountain range. Its protagonist in our illustration is the Chilean Chinchilla, classified as ENDANGERED by the IUCN.
Earth is the only planet in the known universe that harbours large masses of liquid water on its surface. That makes life possible. Maybe there is life in other corners of the universe, but we don’t know, and if there is, it will surely be a very different kind of life than on Earth.
The protagonist of our illustration is the Blue Whale, classified as ENDANGERED by the IUCN, and also the Mexican Vaquita, which is at the verge of extinction with only 10 individuals left.
This hotspot is entirely located in California. The protagonists of our illustration are the California Redwood, the tallest tree on Earth, and the Giant California, the most masive tree. Both species are classified as ENDANGERED by the IUCN.