What is a national park?

National parks are landscapes where nature is left to itself and its own rules. Within their borders, refuges for wild plants and animals are created and conserved and therefore national parks are essential for Earth's biodiversity and species richness. At the same time they create areas enabling nature experiences for educational and scientific projects and thus re-integrate humans. Furthermore, the national parks add to the attractiveness of their region and contribute to economic development.

National parks – an international idea

The world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park, was founded in 1872. Its founders wanted to protect the natural wonders, keep them from being used in any way and conserve them for future generations. This became necessary since large parts of America had been made accessible through excessive exploitation. Therefore people were worried that other beauties of nature could also fall victim to commercial interests.
The basic idea of Yellowstone has spread all around the world. Today there are 5,000 national parks worldwide. The scenic variety covers areas that are mostly sea and coastal areas, forest areas, swamp and bog areas and parts of upland and high mountain areas. Between north and south, there are 15 national parks in Germany.