An elongated belt or region distinguished by some common character indicated by its name, which differentiates it from other adjoining zones. Here often an area or subdivision of a bio-geographical region that has a characteristic biota. The often used six major and one minor zoogeographical regions (of Wallace, see picture) are the 1)Palaearctic Region, comprising Europe, North Africa and northern Asia (the northern Old World); 2) Ethiopian Region, comprising Africa from the Sahara southwards; 3) Oriental Region, comprising tropical Asia and western Indonesia; 4) Australasian Region, comprising eastern Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Polynesia; 5) Nearctic Region, comprising North and Central America above the tropics; 6) Neotropical Region comprising South America and tropical Central America. The Palaearctic and Nearctic Regions present many (avifaunal) similarities and are often referred to together as the Holarctic Region. Malagasy (plus off-lying islands) is regarded as a minor (sub)region because of its isolated position and often distinctive fauna.

Alternative forms for zone : Australasian, Ethiopian, Holarctic, Malagasy, Nearctic, Oriental, zones.