National Park

national park

Area set aside by a national government for the preservation of its natural environment. Most national parks are kept in their natural state. Those in the U.S. and Canada emphasize land and wildlife preservation, those in Britain focus mainly on the land, and those in African nations focus primarily on animals. The world's first national park, Yellowstone, was established in the U.S. by Pres. Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. Canada's first national park, Banff, was established in 1885. Japan and Mexico established their first national parks in the 1930s; Britain's national parks date to 1949. The U.S. National Park Service, established in 1916, now also manages national monuments, preserves, recreation areas, and seashores, as well as lakeshores, historic sites, parkways, scenic trails, and battlefields. See also national forest.

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national park

an area of countryside for public use designated by a national government as being of notable scenic, environmental, or historical importance

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National Park

a mountainous volcanic region in New Zealand, in the central North Island: ski resort

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See Parks Directory of the United States

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National Park 

a protected land or water area with a relatively unspoiled natural setting, often with unusual features, such as waterfalls, canyons, and picturesque landscapes. Some national parks are analogous to preserves, from which they differ mainly in that they are also public recreation areas.

Originally, national parks were set aside as areas where the state protected natural resources from predatory exploitation by private entrepreneurs. The first such area, Yellowstone National Park in the USA, was established in 1872. By 1973 there were more than 1,000 national parks in 98 countries. In many countries national parks are established by the supreme legislative body of the state. In some countries, such as the USA and Japan, the excessive number of visitors to the national parks creates a threat to the natural objects; therefore, steps are taken to provide for appropriate organization of the national parks and the surrounding regions. In the USSR the Lahemaa National Park in Estonia (1969) and the Gauja National Park in Latvia (1973) were established by decrees of the Councils of Ministers of the Estonian SSR and the Latvian SSR.

REFERENCE

United Nations List of National Parks and Equivalent Reserves, 2nd ed. Brussels, 1971.

V. A. BORISOV