Terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Terrestrial protected areas was 2.85 million sq. km in 2010. ▲ Rising

Latest (2010)
2.85 million sq. km
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
2nd
of 6 groups
All-time high
2.85 million sq. km
in 2009
All-time low
2.70 million sq. km
in 1990
Years of data
21
1990–2010

Terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2010

01.0M2.0M3.0M1990200020101990: 2.7M sq. km1991: 2.7M sq. km1992: 2.7M sq. km1993: 2.7M sq. km1994: 2.7M sq. km1995: 2.7M sq. km1996: 2.7M sq. km1997: 2.7M sq. km1998: 2.7M sq. km1999: 2.7M sq. km2000: 2.7M sq. km2001: 2.7M sq. km2002: 2.8M sq. km2003: 2.8M sq. km2004: 2.8M sq. km2005: 2.8M sq. km2006: 2.8M sq. km2007: 2.8M sq. km2008: 2.8M sq. km2009: 2.8M sq. km2010: 2.8M 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

In 2010, terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 2.85 million sq. km. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 2.85 million sq. km in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2.70 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 2.72 million sq. km 2.70 million sq. km 2.73 million sq. km 10
2000s 2.82 million sq. km 2.74 million sq. km 2.85 million sq. km 10
2010s 2.85 million sq. km 2.85 million sq. km 2.85 million sq. km 1

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan 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
  5. 5 Botswana 179,951 sq. km compare

See the full ranking of 56 places →

More environment data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Terrestrial protected areas in Sub-Saharan Africa was 2.85 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 2.85 million sq. km in 2009.
What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2.70 million sq. km in 1990.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for terrestrial protected areas?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 6 groups with data for 2010.
Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan 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.