Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is an international biosphere reserve, one of the unique objects of the UNESCO World Heritage, the first national park. Yellowstone was founded on March 1, 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant. The National Park is located on the territory of three states – Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The Park spreads for 3,468 square miles and is famous for its numerous breathtaking geysers and other spectacular geothermal phenomena, astonishing variety of flora and fauna, and picturesque landscapes. (Yellowstone, 2010)
According to numerous archeological facts people lived on the territory of the park more than 11 000 years ago. First contemporary researches in this region were made in 1805; however, no agricultural and scientific work had been done on the territory of the park until 1860s. During the first years the park was under the administration of the U.S. Army, and in 1917 the administration was passed to the National Park Service.
The vast territory of the park comprises numerous lakes, rivers, canyons and caves. Yellowstone Lake, one of the largest highland lakes in North America, is located in the middle of the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest super-volcano on the whole continent. The greater part of the park is covered with solidified lava. One of the five existing geyser basins is located on the territory of the park. (Yellowstone National Park, 2010)
Approximately two thousand species of plants and several hundred species of mammals, birds, insects and fish inhabit the wild lands of the park. Many of the animals are either endangered or at the verge of extinction. The park gives its visitor an excellent opportunity to enjoy various recreational activities, such as hiking, camping, boating, fishing and sightseeing. (Yellowstone, 2010)
Reference:
Yellowstone. (2010, August 16). National Park Service. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/yell/
Yellowstone National Park. (2010, August 25). World Heritage Sites. UNESCO. Retrieved from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/28