Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park
| Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park | |
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Национальный парк «Беловежская пуща» (Russian) Natsionalny park "belovezhskaya pushcha" (Russian) Нацыянальны парк Белавежская пушча (Belarusian) Natsyyanal’ny park Byelavyezhskaya pushcha (Belarusian) | |
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IUCN category II (national park) | |
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Part of the forest at Pererov, Brest Region | |
| Location | Brest Region and Grodno Region in Belarus |
| Coordinates | 52°35′7.66″N 23°52′44.86″E / 52.5854611°N 23.8791278°ECoordinates: 52°35′7.66″N 23°52′44.86″E / 52.5854611°N 23.8791278°E |
| Area | 1,529.6 km2 (590.6 sq mi) |
| Established | 11 August 1932 |
| Governing body | Ministry of the Environment |
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Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Białowieża Forest | |
| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
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European bison in the natural habitat | |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | ix,x |
| Reference | 33 |
| UNESCO region | Europe |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1979 (3rd Session) |
| Extensions | 1992, 2014 |
  Location in Belarus | |
Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park (Russian, official:[1][2][3] Национальный парк «Беловежская пуща», Belarusian: Нацыянальны парк Белавежская пушча) is a national park within parts of the Brest Region (Kamyanyets and Pruzhany districts) and Grodno Region (Svislach district) in Belarus adjacent to the border with Poland. It is a preserved part of the UNESCO WHS Białowieża Forest, the last primaeval forest fragment of the Europe's woodlands, that once stretched across the European Plain. It is home to a large population of European bison the continent's heaviest land animals. The border between the two countries runs through the forest, the Białowieża National Park is on the Polish side of the border. There is a border crossing for hikers and cyclists within the forest.
Geography
The Belovezhskaya Pushcha Biosphere Reserve occupies 1,771 km2 (684 sq mi); the core area covers 157 km2 (61 sq mi); the buffer zone 714 km2 (276 sq mi); and the transition zone 900 km2 (350 sq mi); the National Park and World Heritage Site comprise 876 km2 (338 sq mi). It is located 70 km (43 mi) north of Brest. The national park covers 2,7% of the Brest Region territory.[4]
History
In the Second Polish Republic most of the Białowieża Forest was declared a national park on 11 August 1932. After World War II, the forest was divided in accordance with the Polish–Soviet border agreement of August 1945 between the People's Republic of Poland and the Byelorussian SSR of the Soviet Union. Poland reopened the Białowieża National Park in 1947.
The park's headquarters are at Kamyanyuki. There are also a small museum, restaurant, snack bar and hotel facilities (built during the Soviet era and currently in a state of disrepair). Due to the lack of facilities and little tourism in the country, few foreign tourists visit the Belarusian part.
References
- ↑ Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park – Official Website of the Republic of Belarus
- ↑ Belovezhskaya pushcha – Belarusian ministry of foreign affairs
- ↑ "Białowieża Forest" at the UNESCO official webpage. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Nature reserves and national parks, wildlife preserves and nature sanctuaries". Land of Ancestors. Data of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus. 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
External links
Media related to Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park at Wikimedia Commons
- Belovezhskaya Pushcha dedicated conservation/environmental website
- Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park on the official website of Belarus
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