Regional Names for Savannas Around the World

Savannas—tropical and subtropical grasslands with scattered trees—go by many local names across the globe:

• African Savanna – General term for Africa's vast grasslands.
• Cerrado – Brazilian savanna, a biodiversity hotspot.
• Llanos – Venezuelan and Colombian flooded grasslands.
• Campo Cerrado – Another term for Brazilian savanna.
• Chaparral – Mediterranean shrublands (California, Mediterranean Basin, Chile, etc.), not a true savanna but often grouped.
• Caatinga – Brazilian dry, thorny scrubland.
• Miombo Woodlands – Southern African savanna woodland dominated by Brachystegia trees.
• Pantanal – World's largest tropical wetland, mostly in Brazil (seasonally flooded savanna).
• Sudd – Vast swamp/savanna in South Sudan.
• Veldt (Veld) – South African open grassland/savanna.
• Gran Sabana – Venezuelan plateau savanna with tepuis.
• Serengeti Plains – Iconic Tanzanian savanna ecosystem.
• Masai Mara – Kenyan continuation of the Serengeti.

Each term reflects distinct climate, soil, flora, and fauna, though all share the savanna's defining grass-tree mosaic.