IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Located in South-Eastern Europe, Croatia is the youngest member of the European Union, as of 1 July 2013. Thanks to its geographical location and morphology, Croatia encompasses four biogeographical regions, out of nine recognized in the EU. Vast plains in the east, dense forests which cover more than 35% of the central territory and more than 1,000 islands in the Adriatic host Croatia’s extraordinary biodiversity. Read more

The French overseas department of Mayotte is located in the biogeographical area of the Comoros Archipelago, at the heart of the Mozambique Channel and close to Madagascar. Mayotte hosts a variety of land and marine tropical ecosystems which are of major ecological value, despite significant landscape changes due to the exploitation of first sugar cane and later rice. Read more

Poland’s biodiversity is among the richest in Europe. Its transitional climate which is influenced by oceanic and continental air masses, its favourable geographical position at the centre of the continent with no natural barriers to the east or the west, its varied geological structure, land and hydrographic make-up and soil types make it a good habitat for many plant and animal species. Read more

Located in West Europe, Belgium is host to the European Union’s headquarters. With three main geographical regions – the coastal plain in the north-west, the central plateau, and the Ardennes uplands in the south-east, it is on its hills that much of the wildlife can be found. Recent biodiversity assessments have recorded more than 35,000 species of animals, plants, fungi and bacteria in the country. Read more

Georgia is located on the Southern slopes of the Great Caucasus Mountain Range, on the isthmus between the Black and Caspian Seas. As a consequence to its geological history, its very diverse relief and climatic zones, a developed hydrographic system and a wide variety of soils, Georgia is rich in biodiversity and hosts a high level of endemism. Read more

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a long history of nature conservation in policy and practice, reflected in numerous pieces of legislation and in the high numbers of conservation organisations and their memberships totalling millions of UK citizens. Read more

Slovakia is a geographically small country, but very rich in biodiversity. In this month's Country Focus you can read about Slovakia's flowery meadows and pastures and the Carpathians – the natural bridge separating Western and Eastern Europe. Read more

New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific, is a global biodiversity hotspot – the smallest single hotspot in the world. It is home to extremely rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and has one of the highest observed rates of endemism in the world for terrestrial flora. Read more

Serbia is a country of rich ecosystem and species diversity – covering only 1,9% of the whole European territory it is home to 39% of European vascular flora, 51% of European fish fauna, 40% of European reptile and amphibian fauna, 74% of European bird fauna, 67% European mammal fauna. The diversity of ecosystems in Serbia is primarily evident in the diversity and specific character of its vegetation. Read more

Cyprus is situated at the easternmost end of the Mediterranean basin and is the third largest island of the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia, with an area of 9,251 km2. Cyprus is part of the “biodiversity hotspot” of the Mediterranean basin, mainly thanks to its many endemic birds, mammals and insects. It is also considered a centre of plant diversity having almost 2,000 taxa of which 143 are endemic. Read more

Moldova is located in South Eastern Europe and most of its territory lies between two main rivers, the Dniester (at the Eastern border with Ukraine) and Prut (at the Western border with Romania). Moldova's proximity to the Black Sea makes its moderately continental climate mild and sunny. At its southernmost tip, the country reaches the Danube basin. Read more

Turkey is located in three biogeographical regions: Anatolian, Mediterranean, the Black Sea region, and their transition zones. Its climatic and geographical features change within short intervals of space due to the country’s position - a bridge between two continents. Thanks to its location, Turkey’s biological diversity can be compared to that of a small continent: the country’s territory consists of forests, mountains, steppe, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems and different forms and combinations of these systems. Read more

Spain is one of the most diverse countries in terms of biodiversity in the European Union. Situated between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Spain contains four of the nine biogeographic regions of the European Union (Atlantic, Alpine, Mediterranean and Macaronesian) which provide for the coexistence of a large number of species of fauna and flora. Read more

Landlocked Hungary lies in the central part of the Danube Basin. Although not a very large country, Hungary is quite rich in biodiversity. The Great Plain region is an important breeding ground and migration stop for a number of migratory bird species, such as the roe deer, wild boar, fox, mouflon, imperial eagle and great bustard. Read more

The southernmost country of Scandinavia, Denmark is made up of the Peninsula of Jutland and 443 islands. Its diverse nature is preserved by a solid commitment of Danish people to conserve this heritage. In 1973 Denmark was the first country in the world to implement an environmental law. Read more