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

8,498

997 with management effectiveness evaluations

Polygons/Points ratio

4% Polygons

0% 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

17.16% coverage

4,363,924 km2 Land Area Protected

30,048,426 km2 Total Land Area

Area marine

4.81% coverage

1,556,525 km2 Marine Area Protected

14,935,206 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 39 0.0
Ib 25 0.0
II 347 4.0
III 39 0.0
IV 337 3.0
V 60 0.0
VI 219 2.0
Not Reported 7217 84.0
Not Assigned 77 0.0
Not Applicable 138 1.0

Governance types

Name Governance type Count %
Federal or national ministry or agency 3179 37.0
Not Reported 2831 33.0
Local communities 212 2.0
Individual landowners 931 10.0
Collaborative governance 253 2.0
Government-delegated management 42 0.0
Joint governance 4 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

Countries & territories

Countries & territories

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

National designations

153

Categories Count
Marine Reserve 2
Nature Monument 2
Nature Reserve 1485
National Park 411
Biological Reserve 1
Marine Park 17
Forest Reserve 3705
National Reserve 33
National Sanctuary 6
Natural Monument 26
National Park - Core Area 1
Presidential Reserve 1
Protected Area 29
Marine National Park 15
Wildlife Sanctuary 27
Wildlife Reserve 46
Natural Park 27
Protected Landscape 8
National Monument 1
Recreation Park 9
Strict Nature Reserve 20
Faunal Reserve 38
Natural Reserve 9
Integral National Reserve 1
Game Reserve 58
Special Reserve 33
Game reserve 19
National Nature Reserve 5
Safari Area 16
Sanctuary 19
Controlled Hunting Area 18
Scientific Reserve 4
Biosphere Reserve 4
Reserve 2
Partial Reserve 3
Hunting Zone 3
Private Reserve 19
Partial Faunal Reserve 6
Partial Wildlife Reserve 4
Total Wildlife Reserve 9
Conservation Area 6
Nature Conservation Area 4
Community Nature Reserve 28
Integral Nature Reserve 2
Wetland Reserve 1
Protected Forest 6
Game Management Area 36
Wildlife Management Area 106
Regional Natural Park 1
Resource Reserve 1
Game Production Reserve 5
Classified Forest 438
Faunal reserve 1
No or Non - Hunting Forest Reserve 3
Not Reported 29
Shell Reserve 4
Nature reserve 6
Botanical Reserve 17
Marine National Reserve 5
Environmental Protection Area 1
Locally Managed Marine Area 36
Bird Sanctuary 10
Hunting Reserve 26
Fishing Reserve 6
National Forest Park 1
Community Wildlife Management Area 5
Multiple Use Management Area 11
Other Area 6
Game Sanctuary / Non-hunting Forest Reserve 1
Marine Nature Reserve 1
Special Nature Reserve 2
Cultural Park 2
Nature Conservation Reserve 2
Faunal Reseve 4
Aquatic Reserve 11
Biological and Ecological Interest Site 69
Forest Managed Biological Reserve 3
Forest Integral Biological Reserve 5
Wetland Zone of National Importance 46
Land Acquired By Conservatoire Du Littoral (National Seaside And Lakeside Conservancy) 41
Private Ranch 4
Game Sanctuary 2
Botanical Garden 3
National Park (proposed) 1
Hunting Area 21
State Forest 43
Paysage Harmonieux Protégé 20
Bird Reserve 5
National Forest Priority Area 58
Wildlife management area 13
Game controlled area 19
Mountain Catchment Area 16
Forest Nature Reserve 53
Community Conservancy 21
Community Wildlife Sanctuary 1
Sanctuary and Closed Forest Reserve 1
Biotope Protection Order 5
National Park - Buffer Zone/Area Of Adhesion 1
Private Nature Reserve 1
Marine Protected Area 51
Forest Reserve and Game Controlled Area 1
Community Reserve 1
Chimpanzee Sanctuary 1
Private Protected Area 2
Marine Community Protected Area 1
Primate Nature Reserve 1
Protected Environment 30
Proposed Protected Area 14
Reserve de ressource naturel 1
Community Forest 34
Marine Nature Park 1
Integrale Nature Reserve 1
Reforestation Area 7
Waterfowl Hunting Block 1
Multiple Sustainable Use Reserve 1
Communal Conservancy 79
Concession 7
Developing Resources Protected Area 1
Geological Protected Area 1
Natural Heritage Protected Area 1
Community Wildlife Reserve 1
Wetlands Complex 1
Proposed Marine Park 1
Réserve de Ressources Naturelles 1
Collaborative Fishery Management Area 2
New Protected Area 5
Group Ranch 1
Classified Forest and Community Reserve 1
Hunting reserve 1
Forest Wilderness Area 12
Permanent Hunting Reserve 185
Islet National Park 8
Ancient Monument 1
Area of absolute protection 1
Aire Protégée Nationale 4
Marine protected landscape 3
Area protected for habitat and species 1
Terrestrial protected area 2
Managed Nature Reserve 1
Nature Forest Reserve 1
Buffer Zone 2
Endemic garden 1
Recreational Park 3
Partial Natural Reserve 1
Open area 24
Forest Plantation 23
Marine Park Buffer Zone 9
MSP Zone 1 1
MSP Zone 2 1
Voluntary Nature Reserve 1
Satellite Reserve 1
Protected Harmonious Landscape 1
Turtle Reserve 2

Regional designations

1

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

International designations

3

Categories Count
UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve 82
World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) 56
Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance 396