National Parks Worldwide

Forget about visiting the world's largest ball of twine. Well, maybe not. Just try to do it on your way to Romanafana National Park in Madagascar to see the rainforests and endangered aye-ayes.

An aye-aye lemur from Madagascar.
STR/AFP/Getty Images
National parks protect the environments of endangered animals, like the aye-aye lemurs of Madagascar.

The national parks of the world offer activities for every type of enthusiast, not just hikers and campers. Bird watchers, for example, can find nearly half of Europe's migrating bird population in Doņana National Park in Spain. Mountain climbers can explore the peaks of Northern Japan and China, and of course Sagamartha National Park in Nepal -- home to Mount Everest.

Adventurous SCUBA divers -- those who aren't afraid to get a little cold, anyway -- can enjoy Fathom Five National Marine Park of Canada, a freshwater marine park that protects 22 historical shipwrecks in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron. For divers who like their water a bit warmer and their wildlife a bit more dangerous, Great Barrier Reef National Park in Australia houses box jellyfish, great white sharks and crocodiles. Of course, not all the wildlife there will try to eat or poison you. The Great Barrier Reef is also home to dugongs, whales, whale sharks, dolphins, turtles and a spectacular array of coral and other
plant life.

Did you know?
In the United States, national park museums display an impressive number of objects and specimens. What types of objects, and how many? The collection includes:

  • 32.7 million archeological
  • 3.5 million historical
  • 2.2 million biological
  • 404,000 paleontological
  • 75,000 geological
  • 24,000 ethnological
  • 76.9 million archival and manuscript items
[source: The National Parks Service (NPS)]

Every country approaches the creation of its national parks in different ways. China, India and Japan approach park creation from a religious standpoint. They want to protect the lands their ancestors viewed as sacred, as well as historical shrines and other revered spots. These countries also happen to be densely populated and therefore work out their park creation with the people who live there. Japan, being a small island with a large population, allows people to own land in national parks with the agreement that they will keep the parklands clean and allow others to enjoy the area. Parks in North America face this problem as well. Many parks buy the land surrounding existing residences and businesses and then expect the residents to abide by park rules.

Africa approaches park creation from a wildlife protection standpoint. The endangered species of Africa are some of the world's most famous: lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, hippopotami, monkeys, zebras, gorillas -- the list could go on and on. All live on this rich and fertile landscape. Unfortunately, these animals are in constant danger from poachers and land development. The African government created its national parks in an attempt to control these problems and save th­eir natural resources. The same can be said for the Galapagos Islands Parks, Peruvian Rainforests (Manu National Park) and many more throughout the world.

The Devil's Swimming Pool
Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. It is also called Mosi-Oa-Tunya by native inhabitants, meaning "The Smoke that Thunders." The falls crash down 354 feet at its highest point, and the spray can be seen rising over 1,000 feet. The Devil's Swimming Pool is a natural rock formation located at the top of the falls, and it looks like a long drop to a quick demise. Jumping into the pool, you feel a terrifying whoosh, as the river rushes you to the edge. At the last second, however, a natural rock wall (unseen below the surface) prevents you from continuing over the rim. Visitors to the pool can balance themselves over the falls for some terrifyingly beautiful souvenir pictures.
­

Up next, find out how national parks throughout the world are cooperating to solve international problems.