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

8,448

994

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

16.97%

coverage

4,332,419 km2

Land Area Protected

29,410,434 km2

Total Land Area

Area marine

4.03%

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 342 4.0
V 65 0.0
VI 220 2.0
Not Reported 7161 84.0
Not Assigned 77 0.0
Not Applicable 135 1.0

Governance types

Name Governance type Count %
Federal or national ministry or agency 3129 37.0
Not Reported 2823 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

152

Categories Count
Open area 24
Private Reserve 19
Community Nature Reserve 28
Recreational Park 3
Community Conservancy 21
Wetland Zone of National Importance 46
Primate Nature Reserve 1
Permanent Hunting Reserve 185
Controlled Hunting Area 18
National Reserve 33
Terrestrial protected area 2
Wildlife Management Area 106
Game controlled area 19
Waterfowl Hunting Block 1
Game Management Area 34
Community Forest 34
Regional Natural Park 1
Reforestation Area 7
Fishing Reserve 6
Marine Park 17
Marine National Park 15
Marine Nature Park 1
National Park - Buffer zone/Area of adhesion 1
National Park (proposed) 1
Biosphere Reserve 4
Marine Park Buffer Zone 9
Total Wildlife Reserve 9
Communal Conservancy 79
Forest Reserve 3705
Community Wildlife Management Area 5
Marine protected landscape 3
Partial Reserve 3
Botanical Garden 3
Integral National Reserve 1
Nature Monument 2
Community Wildlife Reserve 1
Faunal Reseve 4
Locally Managed Marine Area 36
Conserved Area 11
State Forest 43
Marine Protected Area 36
Forest Managed Biological Reserve 2
Natural Park 27
Area protected for habitat and species 1
Forest Wilderness Area 12
Game reserve 19
Community Reserve 1
Game Reserve 58
Environmental Protection Area 1
Islet National Park 8
Nature Conservation Reserve 2
Private Nature Reserve 1
National Forest Priority Area 58
Natural Reserve 7
Private Ranch 4
Paysage Harmonieux Protégé 20
Developing Resources Protected Area 1
National Sanctuary 6
Turtle Reserve 2
Land acquired by Conservatoire du Littoral (national seaside and lakeside conservancy) 41
Marine National Reserve 5
Endemic garden 1
Partial Faunal Reserve 6
Buffer Zone 2
Reserve de ressource naturel 1
Partial Wildlife Reserve 4
Forest Plantation 23
National Nature Reserve 5
Protected Forest 6
Proposed Protected Area 14
Cultural Park 2
No or Non - Hunting Forest Reserve 3
Managed Nature Reserve 1
Strict Nature Reserve 20
Special Marine Reserve 1
Ancient Monument 1
Protected Area 29
Game Sanctuary 2
Sanctuary 19
Conservation Area 6
Protected Landscape 8
Private Protected Area 2
Aquatic Reserve 11
Recreation Park 9
Sanctuary and Closed Forest Reserve 1
Botanical Reserve 17
Natural Heritage Protected Area 1
Forest Reserve and Game Controlled Area 1
Concession 7
Chimpanzee Sanctuary 1
Wetlands Complex 1
Game Production Reserve 5
Aire Protégée Nationale 4
Classified Forest 438
Wetland Reserve 1
Hunting Area 21
Group Ranch 1
Biotope Protection Order 5
Marine Community Protected Area 1
Proposed Marine Park 1
Geological Protected Area 1
Mountain Catchment Area 16
Faunal Reserve 39
Other Area 6
Wildlife management area 13
Biological and Ecological Interest Site 69
Safari Area 16
Protected Harmonious Landscape 1
National Forest Park 1
Area of absolute protection 1
Nature Forest Reserve 1
Scientific Reserve 4
Not Reported 29
Wildlife Sanctuary 25
Special Nature Reserve 2
Hunting Reserve 26
National Faunal Reserve 1
Presidential Reserve 1
National Park 407
Forest Nature Reserve 51
Forest Integral Biological Reserve 5
Reserve 2
Natural Monument 26
Réserve de Ressources Naturelles 1
Collaborative Fishery Management Area 2
National Monument 1
Marine Reserve 2
Game Sanctuary / Non-hunting Forest Reserve 1
Nature Conservation Area 4
Marine Nature Reserve 1
Integrale Nature Reserve 1
Hunting Zone 3
Special Reserve 28
Wildlife Reserve 46
Nature Reserve 1470
Multiple Use Management Area 11
Nature reserve 6
Integral Nature Reserve 2
Faunal reserve 1
Resource Reserve 1
Multiple Sustainable Use Reserve 1
National Park - Core Area 1
Bird Reserve 5
Partial Natural Reserve 1
Classified Forest and Community Reserve 1
Hunting reserve 1
Protected Environment 24
New Protected Area 5
Biological Reserve 1
Bird Sanctuary 9
Satellite Reserve 1
Community Wildlife Sanctuary 1

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