Terrestrial protected areas in Africa

Africa: Terrestrial protected areas was 3.06 million sq. km in 2010. ▲ Rising

Latest (2010)
3.06 million sq. km
Change on year
down 0.1%
Rank
1st
of 6 groups
All-time high
3.06 million sq. km
in 2009
All-time low
2.87 million sq. km
in 1990
Years of data
21
1990–2010

Terrestrial protected areas in Africa, 1990–2010

01.0M2.0M3.0M1990200020101990: 2.9M sq. km1991: 2.9M sq. km1992: 2.9M sq. km1993: 2.9M sq. km1994: 2.9M sq. km1995: 2.9M sq. km1996: 2.9M sq. km1997: 2.9M sq. km1998: 2.9M sq. km1999: 2.9M sq. km2000: 2.9M sq. km2001: 3.0M sq. km2002: 3.0M sq. km2003: 3.0M sq. km2004: 3.0M sq. km2005: 3.0M sq. km2006: 3.1M sq. km2007: 3.1M sq. km2008: 3.1M sq. km2009: 3.1M sq. km2010: 3.1M sq. km

Source: United Nations Environmental Program and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as compiled by the World Resources Institute, based on data from national authorities, national legislation and inter. Measured in sq. km.

Analysis

Africa recorded 3.06 million sq. km for terrestrial protected areas in 2010.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in Africa peaked at 3.06 million sq. km in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2.87 million sq. km, in 1990.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.91 million sq. km 2.87 million sq. km 2.93 million sq. km 10
2000s 3.03 million sq. km 2.94 million sq. km 3.06 million sq. km 10
2010s 3.06 million sq. km 3.06 million sq. km 3.06 million sq. km 1

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 1 Zambia 271,275 sq. km compare
  2. 2 Tanzania 260,821 sq. km compare
  3. 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 234,193 sq. km compare
  4. 4 Ethiopia 203,173 sq. km compare

See the full ranking of 56 places →

More environment data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is terrestrial protected areas in Africa?
Terrestrial protected areas in Africa was 3.06 million sq. km in 2010, according to United Nations Environmental Program and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as compiled by the World Resources Institute, based on data from national authorities, national legislation and inter.
What is the highest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3.06 million sq. km in 2009.
What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2.87 million sq. km in 1990.
How does Africa rank for terrestrial protected areas?
Africa ranks 1st out of 6 groups with data for 2010.
Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Africa data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Environmental Program and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as compiled by the World Resources Institute, based on data from national authorities, national legislation and inter, published as part of Terrestrial protected areas (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Terrestrial protected areas (sq. km)
Unit
sq. km
Source
United Nations Environmental Program and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as compiled by the World Resources Institute, based on data from national authorities, national legislation and inter
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
56 places, 1,170 data points, 1990–2010
Last refreshed

Nationally protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. Marine areas, unclassified areas, and litoral (intertidal) areas are not included. The data also do not include sites protected under local or provincial law.