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There are 207 natural World Heritage Sites
World Heritage Sites protect over 260 million hectares (ha) of land and sea. 88 countries have an area designated as a natural or mixed World Heritage Site. The average area of a natural World Heritage Site is c. 1,257,000 ha |
Areas protected by World Heritage amount to around:
- 13.9% of the total area of all recorded protected areas
- 21% of the total area of all recorded marine protected areas
- An area equivalent to 15.1% of all IUCN categorized protected areas.
Of all areas listed as protected areas in the World Database of Protected Areas, World Heritage Sites include:
- 11% of the total protected area in the Asia Pacific Region
- 9% of the total protected area in Africa
- 6.5% of the total protected area in Latin America and the Caribbean
- 6% of the total protected area in the Arab States
- 6% of the total protected area in Europe and North America.
For the countries with an area designated as a natural or mixed World Heritage site:
- In 22 countries the extent of World Heritage Sites is more than 25% of all protected areas
- In 42 countries the extent of World Heritage Sites is more than 10% of all protected areas
- More than half of the member states of the World Heritage Convention have no natural World Heritage Site.
