Within the EU, Macaronesian region consists of three archipelagos: the Azores, Madeira (both belonging to Portugal) and Canaries (which are part of Spain). All of the islands are of volcanic origin and have never formed part of a continent. Large calderas, jagged mountain peaks and vertiginous cliff tops all vie for space amongst the wide valleys and sheltered bays.

The contrasting landscapes, and the gentle climate, have created an ideal environment for a particularly rich array of species and habitats. Despite representing only 0,3% of the EU territory, the Macaronesian region hosts no less than 19% of the habitat typesa in Annex I of the Habitats Directive and 28 % of plants in Annex II. The rate of plant endemism is exceptionally high, the islands are in fact amongst the top places in the world for plant biodiversity.

The nine islands that make up the Azores, are located far out to sea, a third of the way between the Iberian peninsula and Newdfoundland in Canada. They have a relatively wet climate and a different species composition than the other archipelagos, being more heavily influence by Northern European, rather than Mediterranean, species. The islands also have a relatively gentle topography with undulating hills and peaks rather than abrupt precipites. This makes them ideal for dairy farming.

The archipelago of Madeira is situated 750 km further south and is much closer to the Portuguese mainland. It is made up of two main islands and a series of smaller uninhabited ones. Unlike Azores, the topography of Madeira is precipitous and jagged. The highest peak rises quickly to 1,861 m. As a result, half the slopes have a gradient of 25% and more. This abrupt landscapes has a strong influence on the local climate making it much wetter on the north facing slopes than on the southern ones. The tops of the mountains are also regularly shrouded in clouds. The smaller islands, by contrast, manage to escape these influence as they lie below the cloud belt. Agriculture is the mainstay of  Madeira’s economy, although its rugged landscape means that this is mainly small-scale subsistence production. Tourism is also becoming increasingly important.