Category World Famous National Parks

Banff National Park of Canada has mesmerized thousands of people with its otherworldly beauty. It is the first and oldest national park of Canada.

With the terrain shifting from glaciers and ice fields to coniferous forests and picturesque lakes, Banff is located in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. The mountains here were formed 80 million years ago, when the sedimentary rocks were pushed over to a side to form a new rock strata. Glaciers had covered most of the Park earlier.

Now, they are found only on the mountain slopes. They include the Columbia Icefield, the largest uninterrupted glacial mass in the Rockies. The current shape of the mountains can be credited to erosion from water to ice. Banff National Park has a subcratic climate, it spreads over three eco regions- the montane, subalpine, and alpine.

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Cabo Pulmo is home to the only Pacific coral reef in the Sea of Cortez which is estimated to be at least 20,000 years old. It is in fact one of the oldest and the northernmost coral reef in the Pacific Ocean.

The reef system in Cabo Pulmo supports at least 200 tons of fish of great commercial value. The Park is surrounded by rocky outcrops that are at least a thousand years old. There are also layers of sandstone that hold a lot of fossils.

For many years, this precious place was unprotected. But through the tenacious efforts of the Cabo Pilmo community, in 1995, the waters offshore from Cabo Pulmo were designated a National Marine Park by the Mexican government.

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Every year, scores of migratory aquatic birds including spoonbills, flamingos and pelicans come to nest in the marshy lands of Cuba’s Caguanes National park. But, the number of these birds declined in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Sugar mills around the Park polluted the Park and this was the reason behind the decline in their numbers. Three sugar mills were shut down after this in order to reduce pollution. As a result, the number of migratory birds visiting the Park is increasing since then.

Caguanes National park covers the Caguanes peninsula as well as the Guayaberas swamps and mangroves. There are many caves, arches and niches that open to the sea. This Park is home to 200 varieties of animals out of which 24 are endemic. 112 species of birds nest in the marsh and coastal areas.

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Mount Fuji remains as a symbol of Japan. Renowned around the world for its beauty, Mt. Fuji is the tallest of Japan’s mountains. This magnificent mountain is located in Japan’s Fuji Hakone-Izu National Park.

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park consists of Mount-Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands. Quite a long list indeed! The Park holds a variety of landscapes and geological formations ranging from hot springs to volcanic islands. One can find coastlines, mountainous areas, swamps, plateaus, hot springs, lakes, and more than 1000 volcanic islands in the Park. No wonder, it is the most visited national park in Japan.

Speaking of vegetation, the forests of the Park range from broad-leaf deciduous forests to coniferous forests. It is home to the famous Japanese to beach trees. The Izu Islands are a stopping point for many migratory birds.

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There is an underground river in Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Philippines. Unlike other rivers of the world, this river emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. St. Paul’s Underground River Cave is more than 24 kilometres long. It has an 8.2-kilometre-long underground section too.

The site contains a full mountain-to-the-sea ecosystem. In fact, it holds one of the most important forests in Asia. There is a range of forests formations in the Park representing eight of the thirteen forest types found in tropical Asia.

The mountains in the Park have a thick cover of rainforest. The vegetation changes near the limestone karst. Most of the threatened and restricted range birds of the Palawan Endemic Bird Area have been found here. These birds including the Palawan pheasant peacock and Philippine cockatoo can be found mostly near the lowlands.

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Seoraksan National Park is known for its floral diversity. With the mountain changing its colour according to each season, Seoraksan Mountain offers a picturesque landscape any time of the year.

There are about 1,013 species of plants. Pine trees such as the Siberian pine occupy the southern slopes while the northern slopes of the mountain range are characterized by oaks and other deciduous trees. Dwarf pines, hawthorns, and Manchurian firs can also be seen here in abundance.

Many species of animals have been identified and classified so far. This includes the Siberian flying squirrel, kestrel, Chinese minnow, and spotted barbell. The Park also hosts some of the endangered species like the Tristram’s woodpecker, Korean goral, and Korean musk deer.

Picture Credit : Google