Africa

The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Number of Countries

58

Number of Protected areas

8,447

0

with management effectiveness evaluations

Polygons/Points ratio

89%

Polygons

11%

Points

Number of sources

For International designations 30
For National designations 146
For Regional designations 2
TOTAL 178

Protected areas coverage (Ref 1 ↓ )

Area terrestrial

16.95%

coverage

4,332,280 km2

Land Area Protected

29,410,435 km2

Total Land Area

Area marine

4.04%

coverage

858,294 km2

Marine Area Protected

14,150,703 km2

Total Marine Area

Warning: These statistics might differ from those reported officially by countries due to difference in methodologies and datasets used to assess protected area coverage and differences in the base maps used to measure terrestrial and marine area of a country or territory.

Learn how we calculate protected area coverage statistics

IUCN Management categories

Management categories Count %
Ia 38 0.0
Ib 25 0.0
II 346 4.0
III 39 0.0
IV 343 4.0
V 65 0.0
VI 220 2.0
Not Reported 7160 84.0
Not Assigned 76 0.0
Not Applicable 135 1.0

Governance types

Name Governance type Count %
Federal or national ministry or agency 3136 37.0
Not Reported 2815 33.0
Local communities 213 2.0
Individual landowners 975 11.0
Collaborative governance 217 2.0
Government-delegated management 42 0.0
Non-profit organisations 28 0.0
Indigenous peoples 27 0.0
For-profit organisations 1 0.0
Sub-national ministry or agency 989 11.0
Transboundary governance 1 0.0
Joint governance 3 0.0

Countries & territories

Countries & territories

Name Code
Algeria DZA
Angola AGO
Benin BEN
Botswana BWA
Burkina Faso BFA
Burundi BDI
Cameroon CMR
Cabo Verde CPV
Central African Republic CAF
Chad TCD
Comoros COM
Congo COG
Democratic Republic of Congo COD
Djibouti DJI
Egypt EGY
Equatorial Guinea GNQ
Eritrea ERI
Ethiopia ETH
Gabon GAB
Gambia GMB
Ghana GHA
Guinea GIN
Guinea-Bissau GNB
Côte D'Ivoire CIV
Kenya KEN
Lesotho LSO
Liberia LBR
Libya LBY
Madagascar MDG
Malawi MWI
Mali MLI
Mauritania MRT
Mauritius MUS
Morocco MAR
Mozambique MOZ
Namibia NAM
Niger NER
Nigeria NGA
Rwanda RWA
São Tomé and Príncipe STP
Senegal SEN
Seychelles SYC
Sierra Leone SLE
Somalia SOM
South Africa ZAF
South Sudan SSD
Sudan SDN
Eswatini, the Kingdom of SWZ
United Republic of Tanzania TZA
Togo TGO
Tunisia TUN
Uganda UGA
Western Sahara ESH
Zambia ZMB
Zimbabwe ZWE
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha SHN
Mayotte MYT
Réunion REU

National designations

150

Categories Count
Hunting Zone 3
Community Conservancy 21
Proposed Marine Park 1
Marine Protected Area 36
Wetland Zone of National Importance 46
Private Nature Reserve 1
Chimpanzee Sanctuary 1
Collaborative Fishery Management Area 2
National Reserve 33
State Forest 43
Game Management Area 34
Reserve 2
Protected Harmonious Landscape 1
Hunting Reserve 26
Group Ranch 1
Marine Park 17
Special Nature Reserve 2
Protected Area 29
Not Reported 29
Partial Wildlife Reserve 4
Marine Community Protected Area 1
Multiple Sustainable Use Reserve 1
Forest Reserve 3705
Land acquired by Conservatoire du Littoral (national seaside and lakeside conservancy) 41
National Forest Park 1
Mountain Catchment Area 16
Conserved Area 11
Geological Protected Area 1
New Protected Area 5
Nature Monument 2
Integral National Reserve 1
Nature Conservation Reserve 2
Biological and Ecological Interest Site 69
Private Ranch 4
Forest Reserve and Game Controlled Area 1
Marine National Park 15
Marine National Reserve 5
Marine Nature Park 1
National Park - Buffer zone/Area of adhesion 1
Forest Wilderness Area 12
Cultural Park 2
Special Marine Reserve 1
Marine Nature Reserve 1
Communal Conservancy 79
National Sanctuary 6
Wetlands Complex 1
Turtle Reserve 2
Botanical Reserve 17
Paysage Harmonieux Protégé 20
Recreational Park 3
Forest Plantation 23
Community Reserve 1
Controlled Hunting Area 18
Nature Conservation Area 4
Private Reserve 19
Primate Nature Reserve 1
Partial Faunal Reserve 6
Botanical Garden 3
Presidential Reserve 1
Open area 24
Scientific Reserve 4
Natural Heritage Protected Area 1
Buffer Zone 2
Game reserve 19
Waterfowl Hunting Block 1
Faunal reserve 1
Bird Reserve 5
Bird Sanctuary 9
Permanent Hunting Reserve 185
Community Wildlife Sanctuary 1
Islet National Park 8
Multiple Use Management Area 11
National Faunal Reserve 1
Safari Area 16
Total Wildlife Reserve 9
Natural Park 27
Satellite Reserve 1
Other Area 6
Aquatic Reserve 11
Integral Nature Reserve 2
Reserve de ressource naturel 1
Wetland Reserve 1
Aire Protégée Nationale 4
Developing Resources Protected Area 1
Forest Nature Reserve 51
Resource Reserve 1
Locally Managed Marine Area 36
Game Production Reserve 5
Community Wildlife Management Area 5
National Forest Priority Area 58
Hunting reserve 1
Sanctuary and Closed Forest Reserve 1
Wildlife management area 13
Proposed Protected Area 14
Private Protected Area 2
Reforestation Area 7
Concession 7
Special Reserve 28
Strict Nature Reserve 20
Area of absolute protection 1
Sanctuary 19
National Nature Reserve 5
Wildlife Sanctuary 25
Biosphere Reserve 4
Protected Forest 6
National Monument 1
Fishing Reserve 6
Hunting Area 21
Managed Nature Reserve 1
Faunal Reseve 4
Game Sanctuary / Non-hunting Forest Reserve 1
Game Reserve 58
Marine Park Buffer Zone 9
No or Non - Hunting Forest Reserve 3
Ancient Monument 1
Biotope Protection Order 5
Natural Reserve 7
Wildlife Management Area 106
Community Wildlife Reserve 1
National Park - Core Area 1
National Park 406
Game controlled area 19
Partial Natural Reserve 1
Forest Biological Reserve 7
Natural Monument 26
Marine protected landscape 3
Wildlife Reserve 46
Endemic garden 1
Marine Reserve 2
Conservation Area 6
Area protected for habitat and species 1
Community Forest 34
Protected Landscape 8
Faunal Reserve 40
Protected Environment 24
Partial Reserve 3
National Park (proposed) 1
Integrale Nature Reserve 1
Classified Forest and Community Reserve 1
Terrestrial protected area 2
Nature Reserve 1470
Community Nature Reserve 28
Classified Forest 438
Réserve de Ressources Naturelles 1
Game Sanctuary 2
Regional Natural Park 1
Recreation Park 9
Biological Reserve 1
Environmental Protection Area 1
Nature reserve 6

Regional designations

1

Categories Count
Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (Barcelona Convention) 6

International designations

3

Categories Count
World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) 56
UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve 81
Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance 395