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Where does Wallace’s Line run in Southeast Asia?
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biogeographic region
Floral kingdoms, subkingdoms, and major regions of the world.
The Wallace Line is a faunal boundary that separates the Oriental and Australian biogeographic regions. It runs through Southeast Asia along the following path:
- It begins in the Indian Ocean and passes through the Lombok Strait, which lies between the islands of Bali and Lombok.12
- It continues northward through the Makassar Strait, situated between Borneo and Celebes (Sulawesi).12
- Finally, it extends eastward, passing south of Mindanao into the Philippine Sea.12
While modern zoogeographers often debate its status as a definitive regional boundary, the line remains significant for marking an abrupt limit in the distribution of many major animal groups, including various mammals, birds, and fish.1