Where is the largest nature reserve on earth? The largest reserve
Ten of the largest state-protected protected areas.
1. Northeast Greenland National Park.
The territory of this park covers the entire north-eastern part of Greenland. This park is considered the largest in the world; among its inhabitants you can find polar bears, walruses, arctic foxes, snowy owls, musk oxen and many other species of polar animals.
2. Chagos Marine Reserve.
The reserve occupies part of the British Indian Ocean Territory and is considered the largest marine reserve on the planet. Its area is larger than the territory of France. It is located 500 kilometers south of the Maldives.
3. Phoenix Island Nature Reserve.
Located in the Republic of Kiribati, the area of this marine reserve makes it the largest in the Pacific Ocean and the deepest in the world.
4. Papahanaumokuakea.
The territory of this Hawaiian reserve is considered a US National Natural Landmark. It consists of 10 islands and atolls and is considered home to 7,000 different species of birds.
5. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to many species of exotic marine life and is considered the largest concentration of coral in the world. Although the park is open to the public, there are extremely strict rules.
6. Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Reserve.
This protected area covers lands in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The reserve is divided into several smaller zones such as Chobe National Park, Hwange National Park, Okawongo Delta and Victoria Falls.
7. Galapagos Marine Reserve.
The Galapagos Islands are located 1000 km off the coast of Ecuador. The reserve located here is considered the second largest in the world. What makes this reserve especially unique is the combination of cold and warm sea currents, thanks to which a wide variety of marine species thrive here.
8. Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
Constantly growing, this park covers the territories of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe and consists of 10 different national parks. African elephants, leopards, giraffes, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas live here.
9. Air and Tenere Nature Reserve.
Located in the country of Niger, this reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. COVERING most of the Air Mountains and the western part of the Tenere Desert, it combines two opposing natural zones.
10. Rangel St. Elias National Park.
Located in southern Alaska, this US national park has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the largest national park in the United States; its area could fit 9 American states. It is home to the second highest mountain in Canada and the United States, as well as 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the United States.
There are enough stunning places on our planet that have retained their pristine beauty for centuries, despite all human attempts to destroy it.
Almost every country has its own examples of nature reserves and national parks, but only a few of them can boast of being included in the list of the largest on earth.
Greenland National Park
The largest national park in the world is located closest to the North Pole than any of its competitors. Its territory is 972 thousand km². As an example, one hundred and sixty-three countries of the world have a smaller area than this reserve.
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It was founded in 1974. Ordinary people do not live here, only staff. It is inhabited by about 10,000 musk oxen - at least 40% of the total world population. In addition, here you can meet walrus and polar bear, reindeer, stoats, Arctic hare, etc. The flora of the area is represented mainly by lichens and mosses. In some places there are even birches and dwarf willows.
Rangel St. Elias (USA)
The list continues with the largest nature reserve in America, which is located in Alaska and is protected by UNESCO. Occupies 53 thousand km² - 9 states could be located on the lands of St. Elias.
Formed in 1980. It is home to nine of the sixteen highest mountain peaks in the United States, and the 2nd highest mountain in Canada. Rangel St. Elias receives 60,000 tourists a year. They are attracted by spacious plains, snow-capped mountain peaks, and glaciers, of which there are more than one hundred and fifty.
Limpopo Transfrontier Park
The territory covers the lands of several African countries (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa) and consists of ten different zones, forming one of the largest national parks in the world (37,000 km²). To date, the territory of the reserve has not yet been fully established; the 2nd phase of its development involves expansion to 100 thousand km².
The Limpopo Transfrontier Park was created relatively recently, in 2000. And representatives of the fauna began to appear here a year later. Here you can see leopards, giraffes, African elephants, spotted hyenas, cheetahs and other equally exotic animals.
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Kruger (South Africa)
Kruger National Park is a typical example of African wilderness. One of the most beloved nature reserves among travelers (a million guests a year) brings in quite a good profit. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest in South Africa and is located in the north-eastern part of the country. Length – 340 km, total area – 19 thousand km². Formed from three parts located between the Sabie and Olifants rivers. Included in the UNESCO heritage list.
The Kruger Game Reserve boasts an interesting variety of African “unarmed” safari. Most animals can be seen in the central part of the huge national park. Here you can meet hippos, giraffes, elephants, leopards, crocodiles, white rhinoceroses, as many as 17 species of antelope, more than 400 different birds.
Serengeti (Tanzania)
One of the most famous and largest national parks in the world is considered an example of perhaps the most holistic ecosystem on the planet. The oldest reserve in Africa was created in 1929. The territory is almost 15,000 km².
3 million large animals and nearly 500 species of birds live here. The Serengeti is also famous for the annual migrations of a million wildebeest, two hundred thousand gazelles and zebras - during the migration the animals travel over 3,000 km.
Yellowstone (USA)
The next largest and oldest national park in the world was founded back in 1872 in the American Rocky Mountains. First of all, it is known for its geothermal springs, geysers and eruptions. Every year, Yellowstone is visited by about 3 million tourists from different countries, fortunately all conditions have been created for this.
On the huge area of the reserve you can see rivers, waterfalls, lakes, caves, mountains, canyons, and even a volcano. Almost 2000 different plants grow here. The local fauna is no less diverse: 311 species of birds, nearly 60 examples of mammals, including pronghorns, moose, deer, grizzly bears, bison...
Snowdonia (UK)The next reserve on the list is in the north of Wales. Named after the highest point in Wales - Mount Snowdon (1085 meters). Created in 1951. Area - over 2,000 km². Snowdonia is home to 26,000 people and receives 6 million tourists every year.
One of the world's largest national parks, there are more than 2,000 km of open hiking trails, as well as 260 km of hiking and horseback riding trails. The summit of Mount Snowdon can be reached either by cable car or by a 13 km long walking trail. Several historic railway routes run through Snowdonia.
Bwindi (Uganda)
The area of the reserve is 331 km², it is the “smallest” of the list of the largest national parks in the world. Located in the jungle in the southwest of the country. You can travel through it only on foot. It consists of forests located in the mountains and on the plains. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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This reserve is the largest example of an African ecosystem. About 340 gorillas (almost half of their population), 120 species of mammals, and 346 different birds live here. Bwindi is famous for its exotic butterflies, of which there are over 200 varieties. The fauna is also multifaceted - 163 types of trees and more than a hundred species of ferns grow on the local land.
A dozen of the most picturesque reserves out of hundreds of parks on the planet, protecting the most amazing natural treasures of the world from unnecessary human activity.
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world: Yellowstone, USA
The very first, the most famous, the highest geysers and the largest alpine lake in North America - all this is Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Lake, one of the largest alpine lakes in North America, is located in the crater of the largest supervolcano on the continent.
Video TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world - Yellowstone
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
In the territory the most beautiful reserve There are 16 large karst lakes, 140 waterfalls, 20 caves. Moreover, new waterfalls are born here every year.
A characteristic feature of the reserve is the color of the water. The pictures of the lakes look like a photo montage, but the water here really has an azure color.
Video TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world - Plitvice Lakes
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world: Snowdonia, UK
Unlike nature reserves in other countries, Snowdonia, like other national parks in England and Wales, contains both public and private land.
Snowdonia Nature Reserve has 2,381km of open walking trails, 264km of walkers and riders' trails and 74km of other open roads.
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world:Grand Canyon, USA
The Grand Canyon (English: Grand Canyon, Great Canyon, Grand Canyon) is one of the deepest canyons in the world. Located on the Colorado Plateau, Arizona, USA, within the Grand Canyon National Park. Cut by the Colorado River through limestone, shale and sandstone. The length of the canyon is 446 kilometers. The width (at the plateau level) ranges from 6 to 29 kilometers, at the bottom level - less than a kilometer. Depth - up to 1600 meters.
The canyon was cut by the Colorado River through limestone, shale and sandstone about 5-6 million years ago. These are perhaps the most complete geological outcrops in the world, representing the history of the Earth over 1.5 billion years.
: Grand Canyon
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world:Serengeti, Tanzania
The name of the Serengeti, Tanzania's oldest and most popular game reserve, comes from the annual migration when six million hooves pass across the open plains - 200,000 zebras and 300,000 Thomson's gazelles join the antelope trek in search of fresh pastures. And even when migration subsides, the wildlife viewing opportunities in the Serengeti are outstanding: huge herds of buffalo, small groups of elephants and giraffes, thousands upon thousands of elands, topis, congas, impalas and Grani's gazelles.
The main spectacle in the most beautiful reserve in Tanzania- hunting of predators.
Prides of golden-maned lions feast on the expanses of lowland pastures. Solitary leopards prowl among the acacia trees growing along the Seronera River, and many cheetahs roam the southeastern plains in search of prey. Almost unique, all three species of African jackals are found here, along with spotted hyenas and a host of less conspicuous small predators, from the insect aardwolf to the red serval.
Video TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world:Serengeti
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world: Fiordland, New Zealand
New Zealand's largest park occupies most of the mountainous southwestern part of the South Island.
Here are the deepest lakes in New Zealand, and the mountains reach a height of 2746 meters. The park is known for its unique bird fauna, including the rare kea parrot, the kaka forest parrot or green nestor, the burrow-dwelling owl parrot, the best singer of New Zealand forests - the tui bird (bush robin) and the takahe rail, until recently considered extinct and discovered only in one of the valleys of Fiordland, as well as the symbol of the country - the flightless kiwi bird and the yellow-eyed penguin. Dolphins and fur seals are found in the waters off the coast. The park is given a special flavor by the exceptionally picturesque landscape of the coast, cut by deep fjords, to which mighty glaciers descend from the mountains, in some places reaching a height of 300 m.
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world: Iguazu, Argentina-Brazil
Iguazu is a whole water complex located on the river of the same name. The waterfalls are located on the border of Brazil and Argentina; the Devil's Throat Falls, the largest of the entire complex, separates the two countries.
Iguazu refers to 275 individual waterfalls. The height of the falling water of some reaches 82 meters, but most waterfalls are a little more than 60 meters. As legend has it, after US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt first saw Iguazu, she exclaimed: “Poor Niagara!” The surprised woman can be easily understood: the Brazilian-Argentine waterfall is four times wider than the North American Niagara.
Video TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world: Iguazu
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world: Banff, Canada
Banff is the oldest Canadian national park, it was organized back in 1885. But despite its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Banff is a major tourist center with developed infrastructure. Here you can find everything that is associated with Canada: extraordinary beautiful landscapes and the smell of fir trees, glaciers and hot springs, hiking trails and ski slopes.
The center of the reserve is the highest settlement in Canada, the city of Banff, located at an altitude of 1463 m above sea level.
Video TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world:Banff
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world:Torres del Paine, Chile
The highest point of the park, located in the south of Chile, in Patagonia, is Mount Paine Grande, whose height is 3050 m.
The park is one of the most visited tourist sites in Chile. This world's most famous national park in Chile is located almost 3 hours from Puerto Natales. After all, there are glaciers, high mountains, lakes, forests, many animals and birds live here, and you can even find orchids among the flowers.
TOP 10 most beautiful nature reserves in the world:Tatra Mountains, Poland-Slovakia
More than a quarter of the national park is occupied by green areas and bare rocks. The flora of the Tatras consists of more than a thousand species of plants, and the chamois can be called a living symbol of the park.
The park also contains deer, wild boars, roe deer, as well as wolves, bears and lynxes.
Table especially protected natural areas of the world contains background information: protected areas and included objects belonging to different countries, such as nature reserves, national parks and reserves.
Protected areas of the world |
Protected objects |
|
Astrakhan Nature Reserve |
Volga Delta, lotus, salvinia, chili, waterfowl and wading birds |
|
Barguzinsky Reserve |
Shore of Lake Baikal, mountain taiga fauna, Baikal seal |
|
Galichya Mountain Nature Reserve |
Areas of relict vegetation on limestone |
|
Ilmensky Reserve |
Mineralogical reserve in nature |
|
Kronodsky Reserve |
Volcanoes, geysers. Bighorn sheep, sable, Steller's sea eagle. Sea lion rookery. Salmon spawning areas. |
|
Sikhote-Alinsky Nature Reserve |
Mountain forests, tiger, sika deer |
|
Stolby Nature Reserve (spurs of the Eastern Sayan Mountains) |
Granite rocks, up to 100m high |
|
Manych-Gudilo Nature Reserve |
Places of concentration for nesting (bustard, little bustard) and during the migration of waterfowl |
|
Buzuluksky Bor Nature Reserve |
Relict and ribbon pine forests, Trans-Volga region |
|
Belarus |
Belovezhskaya Pushcha Nature Reserve |
Broad-leaved forests, pine forests, bison |
Bulgaria |
Vitosha National Park |
Mountain range, coniferous and deciduous forests, endemic plants, 114 bird species |
Bükk National Park |
Limestone mountain range with karst phenomena |
|
Ireland |
Natural monument Laka-gigar |
Lava fields, Laki volcano |
Ein Gedi Reserve |
An oasis of unique flora on the shores of the Dead Sea |
|
Motichur Reserve |
Foothills of the Himalayas. Elephant, tiger, leopard, porcupine |
|
Gir Forest National Park |
Kathiyawar Peninsula, the only habitat of the Asiatic lion in the world |
|
Indonesia |
Baluran National Park |
Bali seashore, extinct volcano, mangroves, coral reefs |
Virunga National Park |
Rwenzori crystalline massif. Vegetation ranges from equatorial forests to alpine meadows. Gorillas, hippos, elephants, warts |
|
Salonga National Park |
Forest fauna, endemic pygmy chimpanzee, pygmy elephant, pygmy buffalo. |
|
Namib National Park |
Desert, deep canyons. Vilvichia is amazing |
|
Tanzania |
Serengeti National Park |
Rivers of the Lake Victoria basin, gallery forests, unique concentrations of migratory herbivores and exceptionally high numbers of predators |
Ngorongoro Reserve |
Volcano crater, mountain rainforests, local Mosai tribes are allowed economic activity |
|
Cabarego National Park |
Waterfall on the Victoria River - Nile, 350 species of birds, Nile crocodile, lion, chimpanzee, rhinoceros |
|
Kruger National Park |
Wide variety of Proteaceae, rich fauna, elephant, hippopotamus, antelope |
|
North America, Canada |
Wood Buffalo National Park |
Protected area of bison and whooping crane habitat, black bear caribou |
Grand Canyon National Park |
The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is 350 km long and 1.5 km deep |
|
Yose National Park - Mitsky |
Western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, giant sequoia grows |
|
Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
Appalachian site, tulip tree, 50 species of mammals, 200 species of birds, 77 species of reptiles |
|
Carlsbath Caves National Park |
One of the world's largest cave systems with millions of bats |
|
Everglades National Park |
Subtropical vegetation, mangroves, alligator, American crocodile, Florida cougar |
|
South America |
Colorado National Monument |
Bizarre formations are the result of sandstone weathering |
Argentina |
Iguazu National Park |
Waterfall, flora includes 2000 species of higher plants, rare animals |
Nahuel National Park - Huapi |
Eastern slopes of the Andes, glacial landscape, lakes, beech forests with orchids, variety of hummingbird species |
|
Galapagos National Park |
Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, more than 200 species of endemic plants, unique species of fauna, giant turtle, iguana |
|
Australia |
Lakes National Park |
Lakes, sand dunes, eucalyptus trees, possum, koala, kangaroo, ground parrot |
King Lake National Park |
Waterfalls, forests (eucalyptus, orchids, ferns), platypus, wombat, 100 bird species |
Hoping to preserve natural resources for posterity, the authorities of countries take under protection natural complexes with rare animals and plants. Any activity that poses a threat to the environment and its inhabitants is strictly prohibited on their territory. The largest nature reserve in the world - Papahanaumokuakea - occupies 1.5 million sq. km, and there are about 160,000 security complexes in total. Let's take a closer look at the largest of them.
Papahānaumokuākea
Papahānaumokuākea is a group of islets and atolls in the Pacific Ocean among the Hawaiian Islands. The idea of creation belongs to Theodore Roosevelt. It was realized only 100 years later by George Bush. The official opening took place in the summer of 2006.
In 2016, the protected area increased 4 times, making Papahanaumokuakea the largest conservation complex in the world. In 2010, the reserve was included in the list of UNESCO protected areas. The number of plants and animals growing and living on its territory exceeds 7,000 species. The rarest Hawaiian monk seals are found here.
The park, located in the northern part of Greenland, occupies 972 thousand sq. km. Initially, in 1974, only part of the park was opened in eastern Greenland. In 1988, the lands of the northern part of the island were annexed to it. There are no permanent residents in the park, there are only researchers, the number of which varies depending on the season.
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The main inhabitants of the reserve are musk oxen, the number of which makes up 40% of the world population of the species. In addition to them, there are other rare animals, many of which are endangered species. The landscapes of the park are incredibly picturesque: snow-white deserts dissect the hills, fjords are surrounded by sparkling icebergs. And on the lands covered with eternal ice, 300 species of plants grow.
Chagos
Chagos is a maritime archipelago area with an area of more than 500 thousand sq. km. Located south of the Maldives, it is considered British territory.
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Includes coral islands and 7 atolls. This is the largest reserve of marine fauna and flora on Earth. More than 1,200 species of corals, rare species of turtles and fish live here.
Founded in 2011. It united the territories of Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia and covered an area of more than 400 thousand sq. km. There are no barriers in the security complex, which allows residents to migrate freely. Kavango-Zambezi is home to world-famous attractions that attract crowds of tourists: Victoria Falls, jungles, lakes and rivers.
![](https://i1.wp.com/24smi.org/public/media/resize/800x-/2017/7/27/04_D3YqmWw.jpg)
The main pride of the reserve is its elephants. Their number here is half of the total number of elephants living on the mainland. In addition to them, the region is home to more than three hundred species of birds and six hundred varieties of plants.
Phoenix Islands
The marine reserve is located around the Phoenix Islands and belongs to the Republic of Kiribati. An area of more than 400 thousand sq. km makes it the largest and deepest protected marine area in the world. The land area occupies 25 sq. km. It is the largest reserve of marine life in the Pacific Ocean. In August 2010 it was included in the UNESCO list.
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The ecosystem of the coral archipelagos has not changed for 1000 years. Rare bird species are found on the islands, and 514 species of fish live in the water. The islands are mostly uninhabited. Tourists are allowed to visit certain areas of the reserve with a special pass.
The marine park was founded in 1979. Includes three thousand coral reefs and nine hundred islands. Stretched along the coast of Australia, in the northeast. It is the largest in the world, covering an area of 344,400 sq. km. Visible from space, this coral reef is the largest object "built" by living organisms (coral polyps). Inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1981.
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The reason for the creation of the park was the reduction in the number of corals that are disappearing due to environmental pollution. Now, when visiting a protected area, people are required to adhere to strict standards of behavior. This fact does not stop tourists, and they arrive in the reef in the hundreds every day.
The bulk of the reefs are hidden under water and only appear on the surface during low tides. Due to the climatic characteristics of the region, reefs are constantly subject to destructive and restoration processes. The park is home to exotic representatives of marine flora and fauna.
The territory covers the Galapagos Islands and the nearby Pacific Ocean. Covers an area of 133 thousand sq. km. It is the fourth largest marine reserve on the planet. Since 1978 it has been protected by UNESCO.
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The distance from the coast, as well as the combination of cold and warm currents, contributed to the development of a diverse animal world of the deep sea. Turtles, whales, lobsters, sharks and other fish species live here.
Air and Tenere
The reserve is located in the north of Niger, in the center of the Sahara. The name is formed by the names of two regions that contain the reserve: part of the Air plateau and the Tenere desert. The area is about 77 thousand sq. km. Is under the protection of UNESCO.
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Distinctive features are dunes, canyons and underwater caves not found anywhere else in the world. It is home to many species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. More than 4,000 tourists arrive here every year.
Rangel St. Elias
The US national park is located in southeast Alaska. Founded in 1980, in 1979 included in the UNESCO list. The park area is more than 53 thousand sq. km. The territory is home to 16 mountain peaks, the highest in the United States, including Mount St. Elias, the second highest in the country (5489 m).
![](https://i2.wp.com/24smi.org/public/media/resize/800x-/2017/7/27/09_DbcFfzF.jpg)
Literally 100 years ago, active gold and copper mining was carried out in the park. Now only ghost towns remind of these events. Rangel St. Elias is loved by tourists and skiers. Summer hotels and campsites open especially for them from May to October.
Greater Limpopo
It is formed in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Now the park's area is slightly more than 37 thousand sq. km, and in the future it is planned to expand to 100 thousand sq. km. In 2000, a memorandum on the creation of the park was signed, and in 2002, an agreement on its creation was adopted.
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Within the park there are private and state territories, as well as previously created reserves. Tourists are offered not only to admire the animals, but also to ride a canoe, visit a safari, ride a jeep or take a walking tour.
Nature reserves of Russia and Europe
Before Crimea became part of the Russian Federation, there were 103 nature reserves in the country, the total area of which was more than 27 million hectares. After 2014, the number increased, and now there are 109 nature reserves in Russia.
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The largest of them:
- Komandorsky in the Kamchatka Territory (36,486.79 sq. km);
- Putoransky in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (18,872.51 sq. km);
- Taimyrsky in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (17,819.28 sq. km);
- Ust-Lensky in Yakutia (14,330.00 sq. km).
![](https://i0.wp.com/24smi.org/public/media/resize/800x-/2017/7/27/12_KS9wAmW.jpg)
The largest reserve in Europe, Pechoro-Ilychsky, is located in Russia and occupies more than 7,000 sq. km.
Nature is worth protecting and preserving. You can verify this by visiting any of the existing reserves. All physical and material costs are fully compensated by the feeling of contact with the miracle emanating from the surrounding nature.