The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is compiled and managed by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, an executive agency of the United Nations Environment Programme. It uses the IUCN and CBD definitions of protected areas to determine whether a site should be included in the WDPA. The extent to which each area and the resources within are protected can vary significantly.

The largest protected areas – those exceeding an area of 250,000 square kilometres – are listed below in order of total area protected. All are marine protected areas except for Northeast Greenland National Park – which is mostly terrestrial but also has a marine component – and three entirely terrestrial biosphere reserves in Brazil. Protected areas with multiple coterminous or overlapping designations (e.g. Northeast Greenland National Park and the corresponding Biosphere Reserve) are listed only once.

Currently, Marae Moana is the largest protected area in the world with a total area larger than Mexico (1,964,375 km2).

Largest protected areas of the world Rank Name Country Location Size (km2) 1 Marae Moana Cook Islands 1,976,000 2017 2 French Southern Territories National Nature Reserve French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1,600,000 2016 3 Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area Antarctica Ross Sea 1,550,000 2016 4 Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Hawaii and Midway Atoll 1,508,846 2006 5 Natural Park of the Coral Sea New Caledonia 1,292,967 2014 6 Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument Central Pacific Ocean 1,270,480 2009 7 South Georgia Marine Protected Area South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 1,240,000 2012 8 Coral Sea Marine Park Coral Sea 989,836 2018 9 Protection zone around the French Southern Territories National Nature Reserve French Southern and Antarctic Lands 989,787 2017 10 Northeast Greenland National Park Northeast Greenland 972,000 1974 11 Steller Sea Lion Protection Areas Alaska 869,206 2002 12 Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve Pitcairn Islands 834,334 2016 13 British Indian Ocean Territory Marine Protected Area British Indian Ocean Territory (disputed by Mauritius) 640,000 2010 14 Rapa Nui Marine and Coastal Protected Area Rapa Nui 579,368 2018 15 Palau National Marine Sanctuary Palau 502,538 2015 16 Kermadec Benthic Protection Area Kermadec Islands 469,276 2007 17 Ascension Exclusive Economic Zone Ascension Island 440,000 2019 18 Phoenix Islands Protected Area Phoenix Islands 408,250 2006 19 Trindade and Martin Vaz Archipelago Environmental Protection Area Trindade and Martin Vaz 403,848 2018 20 Pacific Biosphere Reserve Eastern Pacific Ocean 390,091 2016 21 Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago Environmental Protection Area Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago 384,565 2018 22 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Great Barrier Reef 348,700 1981 23 Offshore Trap/Pot Waters Area Western Atlantic Ocean 336,101 1997 24 Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area Ellesmere Island 319,411 2019 25 Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park Desventuradas Islands 300,035 2016 26 Cerrado Biosphere Reserve Goiás, Maranhão, Piauí, Tocantins, and Federal District 296,525 1994 27 Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve Atlantic Forest (15 states) 294,734 1993 28 Pantanal Biosphere Reserve Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul 251,569 2000

See also

List of marine protected areas

References