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Reference.org
Palearctic realm
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<p>The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a <a href="/facts/Biogeographic_realm/k4VUtAbe">biogeographic realm</a> of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the <a href="/facts/Eastern_Hemisphere/gEgE4pYs">Eastern Hemisphere</a>, it stretches across <a href="/facts/Europe/DTAtrKfh">Europe</a> and <a href="/facts/Asia/4IToYrrQ">Asia</a>, north of the foothills of the <a href="/facts/Himalayas/eRSf0yyE">Himalayas</a>, and <a href="/facts/North_Africa/ItxQAfs7">North Africa</a>. </p><p>The realm consists of several <a href="/facts/Bioregion/Gxj5AusR">bioregions</a>: the <a href="/facts/Mediterranean_Basin/azjFD5mW">Mediterranean Basin</a>; <a href="/facts/North_Africa/ItxQAfs7">North Africa</a>; North <a href="/facts/Arabia/x1fDka2b">Arabia</a>; <a href="/facts/Western_Asia/xXM15vIz">Western</a>, <a href="/facts/Central_Asia/rB8k0CyT">Central</a> and <a href="/facts/East_Asia/D8yGVCQX">East Asia</a>. The Palaearctic realm also has numerous rivers and lakes, forming several freshwater ecoregions. </p><p>Both the eastern and westernmost extremes of the Paleartic span into the <a href="/facts/Western_Hemisphere/g8YNNRQG">Western Hemisphere</a>, including <a href="/facts/Cape_Dezhnyov/6t5nn1vd">Cape Dezhnyov</a> in <a href="/facts/Chukotka_Autonomous_Okrug/0NfWGuRI">Chukotka Autonomous Okrug</a> to the east and <a href="/facts/Iceland/E4KGYs2j">Iceland</a> to the west. The term was first used in the 19th century, and is still in use as the basis for <a href="/facts/Zoogeography/mbKwWjkg">zoogeographic</a> classification. </p>