A national park is a park, in use for conservation purposes. Often it 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, there is a common idea: the conservation of wild nature for prosperity and as a symbol of national pride., Furthermore, an international organization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and its World Commission on Protected Areas, has defined "National Park" 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. The largest national park in the world meeting the IUCN definition is the Northeast Greenland National Park, which was established in 1974. According to the IUCN, there were 6,555 national parks worldwide in 2006 that meet its criteria.
Read more about National Park: Definitions, History
Other articles related to "national park, national parks, national, park":
... Kéran National Park is located in the north of Togo, in the Kara area ... Not many tourists visit Togo as the main national parks are more accessible in Ghana ... Many of the elephants found in this national park keep wandering into Ghana ...
... including the mountain summit, has been designated as a war memorial, called the Ben Lomond National Memorial Park ... The park is dedicated to those who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars and was created out of the former Rowardennan Estate with the support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund ... The Memorial Park was officially opened on Armistice Day in 1997 by the Rt Hon Donald Dewar, then Secretary of State for Scotland and later becoming the first First Minister ...
... and a branch was added from La Verkin Junction east to Zion National Park in 1916 and beyond to Mt ... State Route 15 to the road from Anderson Junction to the park, while State Route 16 included the branch to Hurricane (and continued southeast to Arizona via present SR-59) ... In 1927, the state legislature extended SR-15 through the park to Mt ...
... The area comprises The Lakes National Park ... It is part of the Ninety Mile Beach Marine National Park, which covers 2,750 hectares and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of coastline, 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Sale ... There are basic camping facilities within the park at Emu Bight, as well as accommodation at Seaspray and Lakes Entrance ...
... National Park is a small town on the central plateau of the North Island of New Zealand ... Also known as National Park Village it is the highest urban township in New Zealand at 825 metres ... it borders the World Heritage Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's first national park created in 1887 ...
Famous quotes containing the words park and/or national:
“The park is filled with night and fog,
The veils are drawn about the world,”
—Sara Teasdale (1884–1933)
“The Federated Republic of Europe—the United States of Europe—that is what must be. National autonomy no longer suffices. Economic evolution demands the abolition of national frontiers. If Europe is to remain split into national groups, then Imperialism will recommence its work. Only a Federated Republic of Europe can give peace to the world.”
—Leon Trotsky (1879–1940)