---
title: "Biodiversity Hotspot Definition and Criteria"
description: "A biodiversity hotspot is a region with at least 1,500 endemic vascular plants that has lost 70% of its original vegetation, crucial for conservation."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/biodiversity-hotspot"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species that has lost 70% or more of its original primary vegetation.
- What are the two criteria for a biodiversity hotspot?
- Which biodiversity hotspots include Indian territory?
- Who coined the term and how many hotspots exist today?
- How does a hotspot differ from a megadiverse country?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species that has lost 70% or more of its original primary vegetation.

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In 2012, UNESCO inscribed 39 serial sites of India's Western Ghats—one of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots—as a World Heritage Site, recognising its exceptional concentration of endemic amphibians and plants.

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