Carpathian National Park
| Carpathian National Park | |||
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| Location: | Ivano-Frankivsk , Ukraine | ||
| Next city: | Yaremche | ||
| Surface: | 515.7 km² | ||
| Founding: | 3rd June 1980 | ||
The Carpathian National Park ( Ukrainian Карпатський національний природний парк ) is a national park in the Ukrainian Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast .
The park was established on June 3, 1980 to protect the landscapes of the Carpathian Mountains . The headquarters of the park administration is in Yaremche . The Carpathian National Park is the first national park in Ukraine and one of the largest national parks in the country. It is actively used for tourism with 48 well-kept paths (as of 2012).
geography
The area of the park is divided between Nadvirna Raion and Verkhovyna Raion in the southwest of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast on the border with Zakarpattia Oblast . The area of the park is 515.7 square kilometers, of which 3,834 square kilometers is the area where all economic activity is prohibited. The park is located in the highest part of the Ukrainian Carpathians , on the eastern slopes in the catchment areas of the Prut and the Cheremosh . The Prut has its source in the park and the highest point in Ukraine, Mount Hoverla ( 2061 m ), lies on the border of the park. The lowest point in the park is around 500 m above sea level. The Huk waterfall in the park is the highest single waterfall in the Ukrainian Carpathians (84 meters). There are two ice age lakes.
history
In 1921, a nature reserve with an area of 4.47 square kilometers was created in the highest part of the Ukrainian Carpathians. In 1968 it was incorporated into the newly created Carpathian Reserve. The Carpathian National Park was established in 1980 by decree of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and covers about half of the area that previously belonged to the Carpathian Reserve. The park is an independent entity that reports to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine. The area of the Carpathian National Park was historically inhabited by Hutsuls and is home to a number of monuments of history and architecture, including historic wooden buildings.
Flora and fauna
The landscape of the park includes alpine pastures and forests. The three most common tree species in the park are silver fir , red beech and spruce .