Protected areas of Estonia are regulated by the Nature Conservation Act (), which was passed by the Estonian parliament on April 21, 2004 and entered into force May 10, 2004. Overall Estonia has 15403 Protected Areas covering 21.21% of the country land and 18.78% of it marine and coastal territory. Protected areas According to the law, protected areas are areas maintained in a state unaltered by human activity or used subject to special requirements where the natural environment is preserved, protected, restored, researched or introduced. The following are protected areas: National parks Nature conservation areas Landscape conservation areas As stated in §10.1: An area shall be placed under protection as a protected area or a special conservation area by a regulation of the Government of the Republic. In addition, the law declares following special protection areas, which are designated for the conservation of habitats, for the preservation of which the impact of planned activities is estimated and activities liable to damage the favourable conservation status of the habitats are prohibited: Strict nature reserve (§ 29) Special management zone (§ 30) Limited management zone (§ 31) In the time of the Estonian SSR, there were only five protected areas categorized as zapovedniks ("scientific nature reserve"): Vilsandi, Viidumäe, Endla, Nigula and Matsalu. National parks A national park is a protected area prescribed for the preservation, protection, restoration, research and introduction of the natural environment, landscapes, cultural heritage and balanced use of the environment of the protected area. The following are national parks of Estonia: Lahemaa National Park, intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the coastal landscapes of Northern Estonia; Karula National Park, intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the hilly moraine landscapes of Southern Estonia; Soomaa National Park, intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the mire landscapes and floodplain landscapes of transition zone of Estonia (Estonia intermedia); Vilsandi National Park, intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the coastal landscapes of the Western Estonian archipelago; Matsalu National Park, intended for the protection of the characteristic biotic communities of Western Estonia and of the natural and cultural heritage of the Väinameri Sea region. Alutaguse National Park, was formed in 2018 A national park may include strict nature reserves, special management zones and limited management zones. Nature conservation area A nature conservation area is a