Where Are the World's Savannas? Major Regions Mapped

Savannas—tropical and subtropical grasslands with scattered trees and distinct wet/dry seasons—cover ~20% of Earth's land surface. They occur on every continent except Antarctica, concentrated in two latitudinal belts.

Global Distribution: The Savanna Belts

Primary belt: 5°–20° latitude (both hemispheres)—trade wind zones with seasonal rainfall
Secondary belt: Rain shadow regions and transition zones near deserts/forests

Major Savanna Regions

1. African Savanna (The Iconic Savanna)

Extent: ~13 million km² across 25+ countries
Key areas: Serengeti (Tanzania), Maasai Mara (Kenya), Okavango Delta (Botswana), Kruger (South Africa), Luangwa Valley (Zambia), Hwange (Zimbabwe)
Signature wildlife: Wildebeest migration, lions, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, 500+ bird species

2. South American Llanos (Orinoco Basin)

Countries: Venezuela, Colombia (plus parts of Brazil)
Character: Vast seasonally flooded grasslands, gallery forests along rivers
Wildlife: Capybara, giant anteater, Orinoco crocodile, jabiru stork, piranha

3. Australian Tropical Savanna

Region: Northern Australia—Kimberley (WA), Top End (NT), Cape York & Gulf Country (QLD)
Extent: ~1.9 million km² (25% of continent)
Highlights: Kakadu National Park (UNESCO), monsoonal climate, termite mounds, endemic birds/reptiles

4. Brazilian Cerrado

Region: Central Brazil (Goiás, Minas Gerais, Tocantins, Bahia, etc.)
Extent: ~2 million km² (23% of Brazil)—world's most biodiverse savanna
Character: Twisted trees, thick bark, deep roots; 40% endemic plant species
Threat: >50% converted to soy/cattle; global conservation priority

5. North American Grasslands (Savanna-Like)

Great Plains (US/Canada/Mexico): Tallgrass, mixed-grass, shortgrass prairies
Oak savannas (Midwest): Bur oak openings maintained by fire
Longleaf pine savannas (Southeast): Fire-dependent, <95% lost

6. Other Notable Savannas

• Indian Deccan Plateau — Dry deciduous savannas
• Southeast Asian savannas — Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia (often fire-maintained)
• Madagascar — Unique spiny thickets and grasslands
• Pacific Islands — Hawaii (leeward), New Caledonia, Fiji

Why Location Matters

Savanna boundaries shift with climate change, fire regimes, grazing pressure, and CO₂ fertilization. Understanding their distribution is critical for biodiversity conservation, carbon accounting, and predicting biome transitions in a warming world.