National park

A national park is a reserve of land, usually owned by a national government, that is protected from most human development and pollution. National parks are a form of protected area.

Features preserved

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.

Related Topics:
Ecosystem - Biodiversity

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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.

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