NATIONALPARKSANDPROTECTEDAREAS

NATIONALPARKSANDPROTECTEDAREAS

DEFINITION

A national park is a park in use for conservation purposes. It is defined as the conservation of 'wild nature' for posterity and it is a symbol of national pride for any country.

FIRST NATIONAL PARKThe United States established the first "public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people", Yellowstone National Park, in 1872. Yellowstone is the first and oldest national park in the world.

FIRST NATIONAL PARK

The largest national park in the world is the Northeast Greenland National Park, which was established in 1974.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NATIONAL PARKSNational parks are always open to visitors. Most national parks provide outdoor recreation and camping opportunities as well as classes designed to educate the public on the importance of conservation and the natural wonders of the land in which the national park is located.

CASE STUDYRETEZAT NATIONAL PARK

The Retezat National Park is a protected area located in

Romania. Containing more than 60 peaks over 2,300

metres and over 100 crystal clear deep glacier lakes, the

Retezat Mountains are some of the most beautiful in the Carpathians. In 1935 the

Government of Romania set aside an area of the Retezat

Mountains creating the country's first national park.

AREA AND FACTSCurrently the park has 380 km2. The area shelters one of Europe's last remaining intact old-growth forest and the continent's largest single area of pristine mixed forest. The highest peak of the Retezat Mountains, Peleaga, 2,509 metres is located in the park.

BIOSPHERE RESERVEIn 1979 the Man and

Biosphere Program of UNESCO included the

park in the international network of biosphere reserve.

THE FLORAThe flora consists of approximately 1190 plant species, of which 130 have the "endangered" or "vulnerable" status.

THE FAUNAWolves, brown

bear, wild boar, Eurasian

lynx, European wildcat,

chamois, roe deer and red deer, as well

as small carnivore

species such as Eurasian badger and

Eurasian otter populate the

park.

CASE STUDYFIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK

Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest

corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest

of the 14 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major

part of the Te WahipounamuWorld Heritage site. The park

is administered by the Department of Conservation.

MILFORD SOUNDDuring the cooler past,

glaciers carved many deep fiords, the most famous and

most visited of which is Milford Sound. Other notable fiords include

Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound. From one of the peaks within Fiordland

National Park, a view of Mount Aspiring to the far

north can be observed.

FAUNA The wildlife in this area include dolphins, seals and birds. Introduced species include mice, rats, hare and deer. Among the birds are the Kakapo, the only flightless parrot in the world. Also there is the kiwi, which is native to New Zealand.

CLIMBING AND TRAMPINGThe park is a popular

destination for alpine

climbers and for trampers.

Fiordland is a challenging

tramping destination.

There are few tracks.