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

8,536

996 with management effectiveness evaluations

Polygons/Points ratio

4% Polygons

0% Points

Number of sources

For International designations 28
For National designations 133
For Regional designations 2
TOTAL 163

Protected areas coverage (Ref 1 ↓ )

Area terrestrial

17.74% coverage

4,438,124 km2 Land Area Protected

30,048,426 km2 Total Land Area

Area marine

4.98% coverage

1,694,039 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 344 4.0
III 39 0.0
IV 337 3.0
V 60 0.0
VI 216 2.0
Not Reported 5674 66.0
Not Assigned 1664 19.0
Not Applicable 138 1.0

Governance types

Name Governance type Count %
Federal or national ministry or agency 3219 37.0
Not Reported 2833 33.0
Local communities 210 2.0
Individual landowners 928 10.0
Collaborative governance 254 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

149

Categories Count
Marine Reserve 2
Nature Monument 2
Nature Reserve 1474
National Park 418
Biological Reserve 1
Marine Park 17
Forest Reserve 3693
National Reserve 38
National Sanctuary 6
Natural Monument 26
National Park - Core Area 1
Presidential Reserve 1
Protected Area 29
Marine National Park 15
Wildlife Sanctuary 26
Wildlife Reserve 46
Natural Park 27
Protected Landscape 8
Wilderness Area 1
National Monument 1
Recreation Park 9
Strict Nature Reserve 19
Faunal Reserve 41
Integral nature reserve 2
Natural Reserve 2
Game Reserve 75
Special Reserve 33
National Nature Reserve 5
Safari Area 16
Sanctuary 18
Controlled Hunting Area 18
Scientific Reserve 4
Biosphere Reserve 4
Reserve 1
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 119
Regional Nature Park 1
Resource Reserve 1
Game Production Reserve 5
Classified Forest 439
Faunal reserve 1
No or Non - Hunting Forest Reserve 3
Hunting Area 26
Shell Reserve 4
Nature reserve 32
Botanical Reserve 17
Marine National Reserve 5
Environmental Protection Area 1
Locally Managed Marine Area 36
Bird Sanctuary 10
Hunting Reserve 30
Fishery Reserve 5
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
Not Reported 26
Cultural Park 2
Nature Conservation Reserve 2
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
National Park (proposed) 1
State Forest 43
Paysage Harmonieux Protégé 20
Bird Reserve 5
National Forest Priority Area 58
Game controlled area 19
Mountain Catchment Area 16
Forest Nature Reserve 70
Community Conservancy 21
Community Wildlife Sanctuary 1
Sanctuary and Closed Forest Reserve 1
Marine Protected Area 51
Biotope Protection Order 5
National Park - Buffer Zone/Area Of Adhesion 1
Ecological Park 1
Community Conservation Area 3
Private Nature Reserve 1
Botanical Garden 3
Community Reserve 2
Chimpanzee Sanctuary 1
Private Protected Area 2
Marine Community Protected Area 1
Primate Nature Reserve 1
Protected Environment 38
Proposed Protected Area 14
Réserve de Ressources Naturelles 2
Community Forest 34
Marine Nature Park 1
Reforestation Area 7
Flora Sanctuary 1
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
Collaborative Fishery Management Area 2
New Protected Area 5
Group Ranch 1
Hunting reserve 1
Forest Wilderness Area 12
Permanent Hunting Reserve 185
Islet National Park 8
Ancient Monument 1
Area of absolute protection 1
Marine protected landscape 3
Area protected for habitat and species 1
Terrestrial protected area 2
Managed Nature Reserve 1
Buffer Zone 7
Endemic garden 1
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
Recreational Park 3
Fishing 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