List of parties to the Ramsar Convention

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This is a list of parties contracting to the Ramsar Convention, which is also known as the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The Convention's mission is "“the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”. It calls upon contracting parties to recognize the interdependence of humans and the environment as well as the ecological functions of wetlands, such as wildlife habitat, nutrient cycling, and flood control.

The Ramsar Convention is the oldest multilateral international conservation convention and the only one to deal with one habitat or ecosystem type, wetlands. The Convention's headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland, and it works closely with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.[1][2][3]

The Convention was held in the city of Ramsar, Iran in February 1971 and was originally contracted by seven countries when it came into force on 21 December 1975. As of May 2015 there are 169 contracting parties and over 2,000 designated sites covering over 200,000,000 hectares (490,000,000 acres). Every contracting country has at least one Ramsar site, and 31 of the contracting countries have only one site. The country with the most sites is the United Kingdom with 170. To become a Ramsar site, a site must be nominated by a contracting country, meet at least one of nine criteria, and undergo scientific review. The Convention was most recently ratified by Kuwait on 5 May 2015.

The table lists the countries contracting to the convention, the entry date of each country to the convention, the number of Ramsar sites in each country, and the total area of all Ramsar sites in each country.

Ramsar Convention contracting parties[4]
Country Entry date[5] Ramsar sites Area
hectares acres
Albania 29 Feb 1996 3 83,062 205,250
Algeria 4 Mar 1984 50 2,991,013 7,390,950
Andorra 23 Nov 2012 1 1,080 2,700
Antigua and Barbuda 2 Oct 2005 1 3,600 8,900
Argentina 4 Sep 1992 21 5,382,521 13,300,500
Armenia 6 Nov 1993 3 493,511 1,219,490
Australia 21 Dec 1975 64 8,118,485 20,061,210
Austria 16 Apr 1983 20 120,010 296,600
Azerbaijan 21 May 2001 2 99,560 246,000
The Bahamas 7 Jun 1997 1 32,600 81,000
Bahrain 27 Feb 1998 2 6,810 16,800
Bangladesh 21 Sep 1992 2 611,200 1,510,000
Barbados 12 Apr 2006 1 33 82
Belarus 25 Aug 1991 9 370,956 916,650
Belgium 4 Jul 1986 9 42,938 106,100
Belize 22 Aug 1998 2 23,592 58,300
Benin 24 May 2000 4 1,179,354 2,914,250
Bhutan 7 Sep 2012 2 256 630
Bolivia 27 Oct 1990 11 14,842,405 36,676,380
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 Mar 1992 3 56,779 140,300
Botswana 9 Apr 1997 1 5,537,400 13,683,000
Brazil 24 Sep 1993 11 6,568,359 16,230,770
Bulgaria 24 Jan 1976 11 35,381 87,430
Burkina Faso 27 Oct 1990 15 652,502 1,612,370
Burundi 5 Oct 2002 1 1,000 2,500
Cambodia 23 Oct 1999 3 54,600 135,000
Cameroon 20 Jul 2006 7 827,060 2,043,700
Canada 15 May 1981 37 13,086,771 32,338,120
Cape Verde 18 Nov 2005 3 unknown
Central African Republic 5 Apr 2006 2 376,300 930,000
Chad 13 Oct 1990 6 12,405,068 30,653,590
Chile 27 Nov 1981 12 358,989 887,080
China 31 Jul 1992 41 3,709,853 9,167,250
Colombia 18 Oct 1998 6 458,525 1,133,040
Comoros 9 Jun 1995 3 16,030 39,600
Congo 18 Oct 1998 10 11,335,259 28,010,030
Costa Rica 27 Apr 1992 12 569,742 1,407,860
Côte d'Ivoire 25 Jun 1996 6 127,344 314,670
Croatia 25 Jun 1991 5 92,327 228,140
Cuba 12 Aug 2001 6 1,188,411 2,936,630
Cyprus 11 Nov 2001 1 1,107 2,740
Czech Republic 1 Jan 1993 14 60,207 148,770
Democratic Republic of the Congo 18 May 1996 3 7,435,624 18,373,830
Denmark 2 Jan 1978 42 2,303,110 5,691,100
Djibouti 22 Mar 2003 1 3,000 7,400
Dominican Republic 15 Sep 2002 3 102,118 252,340
Ecuador 7 Jan 1991 18 286,651 708,330
Egypt 9 Sep 1988 4 415,532 1,026,800
El Salvador 22 May 1999 6 192,960 476,800
Equatorial Guinea 2 Oct 2003 3 136,000 340,000
Estonia 29 Jul 1994 17 304,778 753,120
Fiji 11 Aug 2006 1 615 1,520
Finland 21 Dec 1975 49 799,518 1,975,650
France 1 Dec 1986 42 3,514,060 8,683,400
Gabon 30 Apr 1987 9 2,818,469 6,964,590
The Gambia 16 Jan 1997 3 31,244 77,210
Georgia 7 Jun 1997 2 34,480 85,200
Germany 26 Jun 1976 34 868,226 2,145,430
Ghana 22 Jun 1988 6 178,410 440,900
Greece 21 Dec 1975 10 163,501 404,020
Grenada 22 Sep 2012 1 518 1,280
Guatemala 26 Oct 1990 7 628,592 1,553,280
Guinea 18 Mar 1993 16 6,422,361 15,870,000
Guinea-Bissau 14 May 1990 1 39,098 96,610
Honduras 23 Oct 1993 6 223,320 551,800
Hungary 11 Aug 1979 29 244,913 605,190
Iceland 2 Apr 1978 3 58,970 145,700
India 1 Feb 1982 26 689,131 1,702,880
Indonesia 8 Aug 1992 6 964,690 2,383,800
Iran 21 Dec 1975 24 1,486,438 3,673,070
Iraq 17 Feb 2008 1 137,700 340,000
Ireland 15 Mar 1985 45 66,994 165,550
Israel 12 Mar 1997 2 366 900
Italy 14 Apr 1977 52 60,223 148,810
Jamaica 7 Feb 1998 4 37,847 93,520
Japan 17 Oct 1980 46 136,968 338,460
Jordan 10 May 1977 1 7,372 18,220
Kazakhstan 2 May 2007 10 3,281,398 8,108,510
Kenya 5 Oct 1999 6 265,449 655,940
Kiribati 3 Aug 2013 1 1,033 2,550
Kuwait 5 Sep 2015
Kyrgyz Republic 12 Mar 2003 3 676,569 1,671,840
Laos 28 Sep 2010 2 14,760 36,500
Latvia 25 Nov 1995 6 148,718 367,490
Lebanon 16 Aug 1999 4 1,075 2,660
Lesotho 1 Nov 2004 1 434 1,070
Liberia 2 Nov 2003 5 95,879 236,920
Libya 5 Aug 2000 2 83 210
Liechtenstein 6 Dec 1991 1 101 250
Lithuania 20 Dec 1993 7 65,581 162,050
Luxembourg 15 Aug 1998 2 17,213 42,530
Macedonia 8 Sep 1991 2 21,616 53,410
Madagascar 25 Jan 1999 9 1,175,011 2,903,520
Malawi 14 Mar 1997 1 224,800 555,000
Malaysia 10 Mar 1995 6 134,158 331,510
Mali 25 Sep 1987 1 4,119,500 10,180,000
Malta 30 Jan 1989 2 16 40
Marshall Islands 13 Nov 2004 2 70,119 173,270
Mauritania 22 Feb 1983 4 1,240,600 3,066,000
Mauritius 30 Sep 2001 3 401 990
Mexico 4 Nov 1986 138 8,826,429 21,810,580
Moldova 20 Oct 2000 3 94,705 234,020
Monaco 20 Dec 1997 1 23 57
Mongolia 8 Apr 1998 11 1,439,530 3,557,200
Montenegro 3 Jun 2006 1 20,000 49,000
Morocco 20 Oct 1980 24 272,010 672,200
Mozambique 3 Dec 2004 2 2,051,700 5,070,000
Myanmar 17 Mar 2005 1 256 630
Namibia 23 Dec 1995 4 629,600 1,556,000
Nepal 17 Apr 1988 9 34,455 85,140
Netherlands 23 Sep 1980 53 823,181 2,034,120
New Zealand 13 Dec 1976 6 55,512 137,170
Nicaragua 30 Nov 1997 9 406,852 1,005,350
Niger 30 Aug 1987 12 4,317,869 10,669,690
Nigeria 2 Feb 2001 11 1,076,728 2,660,650
Norway 21 Dec 1975 51 848,397 2,096,430
Oman 19 Aug 2013 1 172 430
Pakistan 23 Nov 1976 19 1,343,627 3,320,170
Palau 18 Feb 2003 1 493 1,220
Panama 26 Nov 1990 5 183,992 454,650
Papua New Guinea 16 Jul 1993 2 594,924 1,470,090
Paraguay 7 Oct 1995 6 785,970 1,942,200
Peru 30 Mar 1992 13 6,784,042 16,763,730
Philippines 8 Nov 1994 6 154,234 381,120
Poland 22 Mar 1978 13 145,075 358,490
Portugal 24 Mar 1981 31 132,487 327,380
Romania 21 Sep 1991 19 1,156,448 2,857,650
Russia 11 Feb 1977
(ratified as Soviet Union)
 35 10,323,767 25,510,580
Rwanda 1 Apr 2006 1 Unknown
Saint Lucia 19 Jun 2002 2 85 210
Samoa 6 Feb 2005 1 470 1,200
Sao Tome and Principe 21 Dec 2006 1 23 57
Senegal 11 Nov 1977 4 99,720 246,400
Serbia 27 Apr 1992
(ratified as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
 10 63,919 157,950
Seychelles 22 Mar 2005 3 44,022 108,780
Sierra Leone 13 Apr 2000 1 295,000 730,000
Slovakia 1 Jan 1993 14 40,697 100,560
Slovenia 25 Jun 1991 3 8,205 20,270
South Africa 21 Dec 1975 20 553,178 1,366,930
South Korea 28 Jul 1997 18 17,704 43,750
South Sudan 10 Oct 2013
Spain 4 Sep 1982 74 303,090 749,000
Sri Lanka 15 Oct 1990 6 198,172 489,690
Sudan 7 May 2005 4 8,189,600 20,237,000
Suriname 22 Nov 1985 1 12,000 30,000
Swaziland 15 Jun 2013 3
Sweden 21 Dec 1975 51 514,675 1,271,790
Switzerland 21 Dec 1975 11 8,676 21,440
Syria 5 Jul 1998 1 10,000 25,000
Tajikistan 18 Nov 2001 5 94,600 234,000
Tanzania 13 Aug 2000 4 4,868,424 12,030,140
Thailand 13 Sep 1998 11 372,800 921,000
Togo 4 Nov 1995 4 1,210,400 2,991,000
Trinidad and Tobago 21 Apr 1993 3 15,919 39,340
Tunisia 24 Mar 1981 40 837,753 2,070,130
Turkey 13 Nov 1994 13 179,898 444,540
Turkmenistan 3 Jul 2009 1 267,124 660,080
Uganda 4 Jul 1988 12 454,303 1,122,610
Ukraine 1 Dec 1991 33 744,651 1,840,070
United Arab Emirates 29 Dec 2007 3 13,020 32,200
United Kingdom 5 May 1976 169 1,275,681 3,152,280
United States 18 Apr 1987 35 1,827,196 4,515,100
Uruguay 22 Sep 1984 2 424,904 1,049,960
Uzbekistan 8 Feb 2002 2 558,400 1,380,000
Venezuela 23 Nov 1988 5 263,636 651,460
Vietnam 20 Jan 1989 5 84,982 210,000
Yemen 8 Feb 2008 1 Unknown
Zambia 28 Dec 1991 8 4,030,500 9,960,000
Zimbabwe 3 May 2013 7 Unknown

See also

References

  1. ↑ "A brief history of the Ramsar Convention". The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 27 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 February 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  2. ↑ "Contracting Parties of the Ramsar Convention". Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  3. ↑ Heinen, Joel (20 June 2007). Hite, Kirsten, ed. "Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat". Encyclopedia of Earth. Archived from the original on 20 February 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands". The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 13 February 2013. Archived from the original on 20 February 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  5. ↑ This is the date the Convention came into force for the state, not the date of the ratification of the treaty.
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