Caatinga

6°00′00″S 40°00′00″W / 6.0000°S 40.0000°W / -6.0000; -40.0000

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Caatinga
Caatinga
Map of the Caatinga ecoregion.
Ecology
Realm	Neotropical
Biome	deserts and xeric shrublands
Borders	List Atlantic Coast restingas Atlantic dry forests Bahia interior forests Caatinga moist-forest enclaves Campos rupestres Cerrado Maranhão Babaçu forests Northeastern Brazil restingas Pernambuco coastal forests Pernambuco interior forests
Geography
Area	730,850 km2 (282,180 sq mi)
Countries	Brazil
States	Alagoas Bahia Ceara Minas Gerais Paraíba Pernambuco Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte
Coordinates	7°36′46″S 39°26′01″W / 7.612796°S 39.433699°W / -7.612796; -39.433699
Conservation
Conservation status	Vulnerable
Protected	44,133 km² (6%)[1]

Caatinga (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaaˈtʃĩɡɐ]) is a type of semi-arid tropical vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in interior northeastern Brazil. The name "Caatinga" is a Tupi word meaning "white forest" or "white vegetation" (caa = forest, vegetation, tinga = white). The Caatinga is a xeric shrubland and thorn forest, which consists primarily of small, thorny trees that shed their leaves seasonally. Cacti, thick-stemmed plants, thorny brush, and arid-adapted grasses make up the ground layer. Most vegetation experiences a brief burst of activity during the three-month long rainy season.

Caatinga falls entirely within earth's tropical zone and is one of 6 major biomes of Brazil. It covers 912,529 km²,^[2] nearly 10% of Brazil's territory. It is home to 26 million people^[3] and over 2000 species of plants, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.

The Caatinga is the only exclusively Brazilian biome, which means that a large part of its biological heritage cannot be found anywhere else on the planet.