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Polar

36 Total Protected Areas
3 With management effectiveness evaluations
Terrestrial and Inland Waters Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas
Other effective area-based conservation measures
0 Total Other effective area-based conservation measures
5 Number of countries
Polygons/Points ratio
Polygons 97%
Points 3%
Discover Protected Areas and OECMs
Terrestrial and Inland Waters Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas
Other effective area-based conservation measures
ON
Map Disclaimer
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.

• Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.
• Final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined.
• Final status of the Abyei area is not yet determined.
• A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

Terrestrial and inland waters protected area coverage

42.06% Coverage

917,193km2 Land area covered

2,180,831km2 Total land area

Marine protected area Coverage

52.88% Coverage

3,106,997km2 Marine and coastal area covered

5,875,487km2 Total marine and coastal area

Disclaimer: 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.

IUCN Management Categories

SeriesChart100%Chart created using amCharts library

Governance types

SeriesChart100%Chart created using amCharts library

Sources 8

  1. Source is currently unknown Updated: - Not Reported
  2. European inventory of Nationally Designated Areas (NatDA) as provided by the European Environment Agency (EEA) Updated: 2024 European Environment Agency (EEA)
  3. UNESCO World Heritage Sites Updated: 2024 IUCN World Heritage Programme
  4. Protected Area for Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises Updated: 2017 Direction de la Conservation du Patrimoine Naturel, Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises
  5. Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance Updated: 2023 Ramsar Secretariat, on behalf of Ramsar Contracting Parties
  6. UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve Updated: 2020 UNESCO-MAB
  7. Protected Areas of Australia Updated: 2024 Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
  8. South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area Updated: 2019 Government of South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, Government House, Stanley, Falkland Islands

Designations

  • 50%
  • 50%

National designations

18
  • National Park 1
  • National Nature Reserve 2
  • Nature Reserve 12
  • Commonwealth Marine Reserve 1
  • Nature Reserve (Antarctic) 1
  • Marine Protected Area 1

Regional designations

0

    International designations

    18
    • Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance 14
    • UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve 1
    • World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) 3

    citation

    UNEP-WCMC (2025). Protected Area Profile for Polar from the World Database on Protected Areas, April 2025. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net

    Downloads
    Citation

    UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2025), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) [Online], April 2025, Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net.