The Mediterranean Basin covers a large area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and extending to the Atlantic island groups of the Canaries and Azores. This hotspot has exceptional levels of plant endemism, with more than 11,000 species (over 50% of the total) found nowhere else in the world. It also holds nearly 80 endemic reptile species, including several endangered tortoises. The main threats to the region and its flagship species, which include the Iberian lynx, Mediterranean monk seal and Barbary macaque, comes from rapid human population growth, tourist development and increasingly mechanised agriculture.

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