This new edition reveals a global network of over 30,000 protected areas designated under national legislation which covers 13.2 million square kilometres of land, freshwater and sea, an area larger than Canada, and accounts for nearly 8 per cent of the world's land area, as well as 1.5 million square kilometres of sea. This definitive list is arranged by country and classified by management aims, ranging from strict protection to protected areas managed for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems. Many protected areas designated by national authorities are also recognised for their international importance under global or regional conventions and programmes. Currently, there are some 891 Ramsar wetlands, 114 World Heritage sites, 352 biosphere reserves and 1,470 special protection areas, all of which are recorded in the 1997 UN list