What is "macaronesia"

n. A group of islands in the North Atlantic: the Azores, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira and the Savage Islands

Macaronesia is a collection of four archipelagos in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the continents of Europe and Africa. Excluding the Azores, which is considered mainly as part of Europe, the other islands of Macaronesia are closer to Africa. Macaronesian islands belong to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde.