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National parks are reserves of land, usually owned by national governments, that are protected from most human development and pollution.
The idea of a national park was first articulated in the early 19th century. In 1810 the English poet William Wordsworth described the Lake District as a "sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy". The painter George Catlin, in his travels though the American West, became concerned about the future of the Native Americans he met and the natural wonders he saw. In 1832 he wrote that they might be preserved:
thumb Yosemite National Park, USA
[B]y some great protecting policy of government ... in a magnificent park ... A nation's park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature's beauty!
The first effort by any government to set aside such protective lands was in the United States, when President Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of CongressA congress is a gathering of people. Congress is the name of the main legislative body in a state that operates under a congressional system of government. A congress is different from a parliament in that legislative initiative is vested into it. In a co on June 30June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. Events 1651 Battle of Beresteczko ends with Polish victory 1864 Abraham Lincoln grants Yosemite Valley to California for "public use, resort and, 1864Events January March January 21 Maori Wars: The Tauranga Campaign starts. February 27 American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia. March 1- Alejandro Mon Menendez takes office as Prime Minist, ceding the Yosemite ValleyYosemite Valley is a world-famous scenic location in the Sierra Nevada of California. It is the centerpiece of Yosemite National Park. More than 100 million visitors have come seeking what John Muir wrote about: Yosemite Park is a place of rest, a refuge and the Mariposa GroveMariposa Grove is a sequoia grove located near Wawona, California in the southernmost part of Yosemite National Park. It is the largest grove of Giant Sequoias in the park, with several hundred mature examples of the tree. Two of its trees are among the f of Giant SequoiaThe Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum is one of a number of species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in a part of this family formerly segregated as the Taxodiaceae. Description Giant Sequoia is the world'ss (the heart of which would become the world-famous Yosemite National Park) to the state of CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third largest state in the U. California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State", wh:
However, the vision of the National Park was not yet complete in Yosemite, and required the efforts of John MuirJohn Muir ( April 21, 1838 December 24, 1914) was an environmentalist, naturalist, traveler, writer, and scientist. He is, however, probably best remembered as one of the greatest champions of the Yosemite area's natural wonders. He thought that nature wa to bring it to fruition. Yosemite would not legally become a national park on October 1, 1890.
In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established as the world's first truly national park. Following the idea established in Yellowstone there soon followed other parks in many other nations. In Canada, Banff National Park (then known as Rocky Mountain National Park) became its first national park in 1887. New Zealand had its first national park in 1887. In Europe the first national park was established in 1910 in Sweden. Particularly after World War II national parks were founded all over the world.
Ruins at Tikal National Park, Guatemala
National parks are usually located in places which have been largely undeveloped, and often feature areas with exceptional native animals, plants and ecosystems (particularly endangered examples of such), biodiversity, or unusual geological features. Occasionally, national parks are declared in developed areas with the goal of returning the area to resemble its original state as closely as possible.
In some countries, such as England and Wales, areas designated as a national park are not wilderness, nor owned by the government, and can include substantial settlements and land uses which are often integral parts of the landscape.
Most national parks have a dual role in offering a refuge for wildlife and as popular tourist areas. Managing the potential for conflict between these two roles can become problematic, particularly as tourists often generate revenue for the parks which, in turn, are spent on conservation projects. Parks also serve as reserves for substantial natural resources, such as timber, minerals and other valuable commodities. The management of the demand for extraction of these resources, against the damage this might cause, is often a very important challenge in national park management. National parks have been subject to illegal logging and other exploitation, sometimes because of political corruption. This threatens the integrity of many valuable habitats.
thumb Dunes in Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia
Some countries also designate sites of special cultural, scientific or historical importance as national parks, or as special entities within their national park systems. Other countries use a different scheme for historical site preservation. Some of these sites are awarded the title World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
In many countries, local governmental bodies may be responsible for the maintainance of park systems. Some of these are even called national parks.