What is Megadiverse Country definition/concept
The countries that make up the planet can be classified in several ways. According to the Human Development Index or HDI they are divided into: developed, underdeveloped and developing countries. It is also possible to differentiate nations according to other criteria such as geographic area or population. Megadiverse Country
In recent years, a new concept has been introduced related to the great diversity of animal and plant species, as well as cultural and ethnic diversity in a territory.
To refer to this idea, the term megadiversity is used, a concept coined by Conservation International, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the environment. Countries like Madagascar, South Africa, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Mexico and the United States are significant examples of megadiverse countries.
The case of Mexico
The number of plant and animal species is very striking, as it is estimated that there are more than 200,000 different species. Likewise, aquatic ecosystems are also well differentiated, as there are deep water corals, marine pastures, reefs, estuaries and salt waters. From a landscape point of view, diversity is also notorious, as there are forests, forests, canyons and desert areas. Megadiverse Country
The ethnic groups that make up Mexico include the Nahuas, the Yaquis, the Mazatecos, the Tzeltales and the Purépechas, among others. From a linguistic point of view, Spanish is the majority language, but there are also more than 60 indigenous languages spoken, such as Nahualt, Totonaco, Chol, Zapoteco and Mixteco.
Data on megadiversity in the United States
The United States is the fourth largest country in the world. In its vast territories, megadiversity is very notorious. In terms of landscape, forests, deserts and glaciers abound. The country has a climatic diversity that includes continental, tropical, arid and polar climate. It is one of the countries with the most species of mammals and the greatest variety of insects and reptiles. Megadiverse Country
From an ethnic point of view, the American population is especially diverse.
There are actually five racial categories: Whites, Blacks, Amerindians, Asians and Native Hawaiians. If we take the white population as a reference, the geographical origin of this group comes from countries such as Italy, Ireland, Poland, Greece and Germany.
Although English is the official language throughout the country and Spanish a language with more than 40 million speakers, there are many minority languages as a result of migratory waves, such as Vietnamese, Korean, Cantonese, Greek and Armenian. Megadiverse Country
Only in the city of New York, it is estimated that there are over 700 languages spoken.