This Country Just Became the World’s First Entirely Protected Biosphere in History

This Country Just Became the World’s First Entirely Protected Biosphere in History

In a move hailed by conservationists as “historic”, the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe has become the first country in the world to have its entire territory designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The announcement was made on 27 September 2025, following a major update from the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, which added 30 new sites across the globe. The archipelago, located in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of A…

Entire nation declared a single UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Pico de São Tomé in São Tomé and Príncipe, a newly designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve . Image: Marion Tafani From Iceland’s glaciers to Oman’s deserts, 26 vital new sites – including an entire African country – join the global UNESCO Biosphere Reserve network The tropical archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe has become the first entire country to be designated a single UNESCO Biosphere Reserve The announcement follows the culmination of the 5th…