National parks are areas designated by governments for conservation and recreation. The United States established the first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872. National parks protect natural landscapes and wildlife while providing educational and outdoor activities for visitors. Retezat National Park in Romania, established in 1935, contains over 60 mountain peaks and 100 glacial lakes within its 380 square kilometer area. It shelters old-growth forests and is designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Fiordland National Park in New Zealand covers 12,500 square kilometers and protects glacially carved fiords, dolphins, seals, rare birds like the kakapo and kiwi, and is popular for climbing and hiking.

1. NATIONALPARKS
ANDPROTECTEDAREAS
NATIONALPARKS
ANDPROTECTEDAREAS

2. 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.

3. FIRST NATIONAL PARK
The 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.

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

5. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NATIONAL PARKS
National 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.

6. CASE STUDY
RETEZAT 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.

7. AREA AND FACTS
Currently 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.

8. BIOSPHERE RESERVE
In 1979 the Man and
Biosphere Program of
UNESCO included the
park in the
international network
of biosphere reserve.

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

10. THE FAUNA
Wolves, 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.

11. CASE STUDY
FIORDLAND 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 Wahipounamu
World Heritage site. The park
is administered by the
Department of Conservation.

12. MILFORD SOUND
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 to the far
north can be observed.

13. 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.

14. CLIMBING AND TRAMPINGThe park is a
popular
destination
for alpine
climbers and
for trampers.
Fiordland is a
challenging
tramping
destination.
There are
few tracks.