Megadiversity centres

The term megadiverse country refers to any one of a group of nations that harbor the majority of Earth's species and high numbers of endemic species. Conservation International identified 17 megadiverse countries in 1998. Many of them are located in, or partially in, tropical or subtropical regions. Megadiversity Countries is a term used to refer to the world's top biodiversity-rich countries. This country-focused method raises national awareness for biodiversity conservation in nations with high biological diversity, with many species unique to a specific country. The group of megadiversity centres incorporates 12 countries: Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Zaire, Madagascar, China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. Others increase the list to more than 17, adding Papua New Guinea, South Africa, USA, Congo, Philippines and Venezuela.