Niumi National Park
| Niumi National Park | |||
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| Location: | North Bank , Gambia | ||
| Specialty: | Mangroves | ||
| Next city: | Barra | ||
| Surface: | 4940 ha | ||
| Founding: | 1987 | ||
| Visitors: | public | ||
The Niumi National Park (NNP) is a national park in the West African state of Gambia . It is located in the northwest in the North Bank Region in the Lower Niumi district and was established in 1987.
topography
The national park has an area of 4940 hectares and includes the narrow crescent-shaped island of Jinack Island (also Jinnack, Djinak or Ginak) and an area on the mainland. The approximately 700 meter wide island has a north-south orientation and has an eleven-kilometer stretch of beach facing the Atlantic Ocean . The beach runs from the town of Barra in the south to the border with the neighboring state of Senegal in the north. The side facing away from the sea is separated from the mainland by the Niji Bolong canal, which is only 50 meters narrow , so that one can hardly speak of an island. The Niji Bolong flows in the north into the Massarinko Bolong , which flows into the Jinnak Creek on Senegalese territory . There are extensive mangrove forests on all of the local waters .
On the Senegalese side, there is the 180,000 hectare Delta du Saloum National Park , which extends over the estuary of the Saloum River. This river delta is also designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO and recognized as a wetland according to the Ramsar Convention . The NNP sees itself as a cross-border protected area, recognition as a Ramsar protected area is also sought.
The headquarters of the Niumi National Park is located near Kanuma .
Flora and fauna
The Niumi National Park with its mangrove forests, which mainly consist of the species Rhizophora , offers a variety of species habitat. Numerous birds are native here, including many water birds and migratory birds. The latter are looking for their winter quarters here. The stretch of coast also offers a nesting opportunity for green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas ). In the waters, which are also an important spawning area for fish, live the rare African manatee ( Trichechus senegalensis ), Cameroon river dolphins ( Sousa teuszii ) and capotters ( Aonyx capensis ).
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Craig Emms, Linda Barnett, Richard Human: The Gambia Bradt Pubns, 2006, ISBN 1-84162-137-4
Web links
- www.birdlife.org - Description at BirdLife International (English)