保护区（自然文化保护区），按照世界自然保护联盟（World Conservation Union，IUCN）的定义，指通过法律及其它有效方式用以保护和维护生物多样性、自然及文化资源的土地或海洋；保护区是一个泛称，由于其创建的目的、要求和本身所具备的条件不同，所以具有多种多样的类型，不同类型管理的侧重点也有所区别。以保护区管理的目标为原则划分第一级分类单位，共有5个类型，即：严格的保护区、国家公园、保护景观、栖息地/物种管理区、资源管理保护区。再以保护对象原则划分第二、三级分类单位，共同构成一个完整的分类系统，以适应保护区事业日益发展的要求。国际上具体推动保护事务的有绿色和平。世界保护联盟的国家公园与保护区委员会于1978年划定为十个类型。

Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international organisations involved. The term "protected area" also includes Marine Protected Areas, the boundaries of which will include some area of ocean, and Transboundary Protected Areas that overlap multiple countries which remove the borders inside the area for conservation and economic purposes. There are over 161,000 protected areas in the world (as of October 2010) with more added daily, representing between 10 and 15 percent of the world's land surface area. By contrast, only 1.17% of the world's oceans is included in the world's ~6,800 Marine Protected Areas.