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List of freshwater ecoregions in Africa and Madagascar

This is a list of freshwater ecoregions in Africa and Madagascar as identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The WWF categorizes the Earth's land surface into ecoregions, which are defined as "large area[s] of land or water containing a distinct assemblage of natural communities and species." These ecoregions are further grouped into bioregions, "a complex of ecoregions that share a similar biogeographic history, and thus often have strong affinities at higher taxonomic levels (e.g. genera, families)." The Earth's land surface is divided into eight biogeographic realms. While most of Africa falls within the Afrotropical realm, the freshwater ecoregions of North Africa share similarities with the Palearctic realm.

Each ecoregion is also classified into major habitat types or biomes.

Many view this classification as decisive, and some propose using these boundaries as stable borders for bioregional democracy initiatives.

by Bioregion

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North African

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Nilo-Sudan

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Upper Guinea

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West Coast Equatorial

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Congo

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Great Lakes

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Eastern and Coastal

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Cuanza

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Zambezi

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Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands

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Southern Temperate

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by Major Habitat type

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Closed basins and small lakes

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Floodplains, swamps, and lakes

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Moist forest rivers

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  • Ashanti
  • Cuvette Centrale
  • Central West Coastal Equatorial
  • Eburneo
  • Kasai
  • Lower Congo
  • Madagascar Eastern Lowlands
  • Malebo Pool
  • Northern Upper Guinea
  • Northern West Coast Equatorial
  • Sangha
  • Southern Upper Guinea
  • Northern West Coastal Equatorial
  • Sudanic Congo (Oubangi)
  • Upper Congo
  • Upper Niger

Mediterranean systems

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Highland and mountain systems

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Island rivers and lakes

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Large lakes

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Large river deltas

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Large river rapids

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Savanna-dry forest rivers

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  • Bight Coastal
  • Cuanza
  • Kenyan Coastal Rivers
  • Lower Niger-Benue
  • Lower Zambezi
  • Madagascar Northwestern Basins
  • Madagascar Western Basins
  • Middle Zambezi Luangwa
  • Pangani
  • Senegal-Gambia Catchments
  • Eastern Coastal Basins
  • Southern Temperate Highveld
  • Uele
  • Volta
  • Zambezian Headwaters
  • Zambezian Lowveld
  • Zamebzian (Plateau) Highveld

Subterranean and spring systems

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Xeric systems

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  • Dry Sahel
  • Etosha
  • Horn
  • Kalahari
  • Karoo
  • Lower Nile
  • Madagascar Southern Basins
  • Namib Coastal
  • Red Sea Coastal
  • Shebele-Juba Catchments
  • Southern Kalahari
  • Temporary Maghreb
  • Western Orange

References

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  • Thieme, Michelle L. (2005). Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment. Island Press, Washington DC.
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