Each country has special state-protected territories - natural national parks. The definition of this place is of particular importance, since important natural, cultural or ecological objects located under their protection are located on their territory. The parks have different purposes, but they all share common features - these places are interesting for tourists to visit, it is pleasant to contemplate beautiful landscapes along their paths, and the unique nature delights with its originality. We will understand what national parks are. The definition will be considered further.
What it is?
A general interpretation of the concept is accepted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It defines what a national park is - it is a part of land or a reservoir in which there are unique natural objects of ecological, historical and aesthetic value. Their purpose is to perform one of the functions: environmental, recreational, educational or cultural.
There are three branches in connection with which the state arose the need to create national parks. Each country chose a definition (what it is) based on the goals of its creation. So, these goals were:
1. The creation of the park exclusively for tourism and recreation. For example, Yellowstone Park (USA), Banff (Canada). What are these national parks, is determined by their purpose, which is to entertain people. Today, Yellowstone Park is visited by several thousand tourists a day. This is a huge territory with geysers, volcanoes, canyons, waterfalls, forests with wild animals and much more. Visiting this place is a real adventure.
2. Designation of a certain territory, which was already a place of tourist pilgrimage, and in the future will be a national park. This transition is associated with the presence of natural objects that need to be further protected by the state. For example, the Bavarian forest on the border of Germany and the Czech Republic, or the Bialowieza Forest in Belarus. The latter was created to protect the unique European forest, whose history begins from ancient times.
3. Organization of the territory under the prohibition of the use of its wealth. Consider from this point of view what a national park is. The definition of a protected area is associated with the presence on it of important plants, animals, or historical objects to which there is a scientific interest. The park is created solely for the purpose of studying such objects.
Ecology
What is a national park (definition from the point of view of environmental importance) is a purposeful fencing of the territory, restriction of its visits by people to preserve a unique ecosystem, a halo of habitat of rare animals or plants.
Recently, ecotourism is gaining popularity. This is a journey into the natural territories with the aim of exploring and understanding the world that surrounds us. Life in cities locks people in stone walls, and they get farther from nature. Ecotourism is aimed at connecting people, flora and fauna. Traveling for this purpose, tourists turn off gadgets, leave computers and work, and retire from mother earth.
Types of ecotours
Depending on the object of visit, ecotours are divided into the following types:
- Learning only plants.
- For the purpose of observing animals.
- Separately, there are ecotours for observing wild birds (very popular in Europe).
- Geological - the study of the earth's interior, stones, soil.
- Ethnographic - a visit to the original settlements that have preserved the ancient foundation. In Russia, such parks have been preserved on the territory of the Chuvash Republic, the Mari El Republic.
- Archaeological. For example, Samarskaya Luka National Park stores the remains of the largest settlements of the Volga Bulgaria of the 9th-12th centuries.
- Tours to visit historical sites. Interesting objects in such structures are architectural structures, architectural monuments, museums.
In biology
Consider a definition for children. National Park is a place where people and mother nature can retire. This area is the standard of the natural landscape, where there are bizarre waterfalls, unusual trees, endangered animals or beautiful mountain peaks.
Parks play a crucial role in biology. Research can be easily carried out on their territory; special groups are created for this. Here rare species of flora and fauna are preserved and restored. For children, environmental education and scientific activities are carried out.
Difference from the reserve
Consider the definition of geography. A national park is a territory where human activities are limited in order to protect the environment.
In the reserve, human activity is not just limited, it is completely prohibited. If tourism is welcome in the national park, then in the reserve it is strictly limited. It is forbidden to hunt, engage in gathering, fishing, etc. The ecosystem has exclusively scientific value, and only people with permission to study it can. Reserves are created in those places where there is a halo of habitat for endangered species of plants and animals.
What are complexes: definition
The national park often stands not isolated. Near it is developing infrastructure for entertainment and recreation for people. So, near the entrance to the territory often put restaurants, hotels, places for camping and equipment rental, cultural and educational centers, museums, etc. Such infrastructure is called a complex.
For example, the museum complex of the Curonian Spit National Park. Here is the main exposition, which tells about the nature of the Curonian Spit, about the role of man in the destruction and restoration of the fragile ecosystem of the peninsula.
The complex includes the museums "Ancient Sambia" and the museum "Superstition". Nearby is the cafe "Kurena".
The largest national parks in Russia
1. "Yugyd Va" - spread to the forest and mountain expanses of the Komi Republic. Its area is 18, 917.01 km 2.
2. "Beringia" in Chukotka. This distant land holds unique northern relics - plants and trees from ancient times. The area is 18, 194.54 km 2.
3. It so happened that the largest parks occupied the northern latitudes. Another unique museum of nature is the Russian Arctic in the Arkhangelsk region. It occupies such natural areas as the tundra, forest-tundra and taiga. The total territory of 14260 km 2.
