A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently, an international organization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and its World Commission on Protected Areas, has defined National Parks as its category II type of protected areas. While ideas for this type of national park had been suggested previously, the United States established the first such one,Yellowstone National Park, in 1872. According to the IUCN, there were 6,555 national parks worldwide.
Yosemite National Park, United States
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in the central eastern portion of California, United States. The park covers an area of 761,268 acres (3,080.74 km2) and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend their time in the seven square miles (18 km2) of Yosemite Valley. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness.
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Japan
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is a national park in Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands. Rather than being a specific spot, the park is a collection of dispersed tourist sites that dot the region. The farthest point south, the isle of Hachijojima, is several hundred kilometers from Mount Fuji. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park was established on February 2, 1936 as Fuji-Hakone National Park, and is one of the first four national parks established in Japan. In 1950, the Izu islands were added to the park, and its name changed to its present designation. Due to its proximity to the Tokyo metropolis and ease of transportation, it is the most visited national park in all Japan, with the number of visitors per year exceeding 100 million.
Grand Canyon National Park, United States
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States’ 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park’s central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,902 sq mi; 4,926 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.
Guilin and Lijiang River National Park, China
The Lijiang River is the cream of Guilin also the pearl in Chinese natural scenery. Meanwhile, Lijiang River scenery spot is the biggest in scale and most beautiful karst area, which intoxicate the numerous poets and literary men and renowned in the country. The Lijiang River located at the eastern of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Its rises in Mt. Maoer – the First Peak of South China, where is a fairy land with thick forest, fresh air and wonderful ecological environment. In 1982, Guilin-Lijiang River Scenic Area was listed into National Park of China initiatively, and the same time was authorized the national 5A level tourist scenic zone by national tourism administration.
Banff National Park, Canada
Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 km (68–110 mi) west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses 6,641 km2 (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. The main commercial center of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in Serengeti area, Tanzania. It is most famous for its annual migration of over one and a half million white bearded (or brindled) wildebeest and 250,000 zebra. Serengeti National Park is widely regarded as the best wildlife reserve in Africa due to its density of predators and prey. The park covers 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi) of grassland plains and savanna as well as riverine forest and woodlands. The park lies in the north of the country, bordered to the north by the national Tanzania and Kenyan border, where it is continuous with the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile
Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, a glacier, a lake, and river-rich areas in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. The park is located 112 km (70 mi) north of Puerto Natales and 312 km (194 mi) north of Punta Arenas. Bernardo O’Higgins National Park is its neighbour to the west, while Los Glaciares National Park is located to the north in Argentine territory.
Swiss National Park, Switzerland
The Swiss National Park is located in the canton of Graubünden in the east of Switzerland. It is part of the worldwide UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. As of 2009, it is the only National Park in Switzerland, though there are plans to create more. It has an area of 174.2 km² and is the largest protected area of the country. It was founded on 1 August 1914, the national holiday of Switzerland. It was one of the earliest national parks in Europe. In the park, one is not allowed to leave the road, make fire or sleep outside the Chamanna Cluozza; the mountain hut located in the park. It is also forbidden to disturb the animals or the plants, or to take home anything found in the park. Dogs are not allowed, not even on a leash.
Lake District National Park, England
The Lake District National Park is located in Cumbria in the north-west of England and is the largest of the English National Parks and the second largest in the United Kingdom. It includes nearly all of the Lake District. The National Park was formed in 1951 to protect the landscape by restricting unwelcome change by industry or commerce. Almost all of the land in the Park is in private ownership. 3.9% of the land belongs to the Lake District National Park Authority. The National Trust owns some land of significant landscape value. In common with all other National Parks in England, there is no restriction on entry to or movement within the park along public routes, but access to cultivated land is usually restricted to public footpaths. The Lake District has so far failed to be approved as a World Heritage Site, partly because of activities, such as commercial forestry, which have an impact on its landscapes. It is still hoped that it can qualify for this designation in the category of cultural landscape.
Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
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 Wahipounamu World Heritage site. The park is administered by the Department of Conservation. During 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/Tititea to the far north can be observed.
कोई टिप्पणी नहीं:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें