Hungary's National Parks [antikvár]

Introduction In the last few years, public forums as well as private discussions often raised the question: With what does Hungary enrich the European Union? World Standard literary works taking advantage of our outstandingly rich linguistic heritage, our musical masterpieces Stemming from folk traditions, the architectural creations that are characteristic only to this country, the world-famous scientific and technological achievements are spiritual and mental products of the people living here. In addition to all this, however, our greatest treasure is undoubtedly the unique natural heritage that has evolved through millions of years in the Carpathian Basin, this gigantic, natural 'melting-pot'. This is a practically immeasurable, and by words hardly describable treasure, that, if properly managed, may truly enrich the European Union! The uniqueness and wonderful diversity of our natural environment is primarily due to the geomor-phological endowments of this landscape that have made it possible for mediterranean, montane, continental and Atlantic climates as well as their typical wildlife to meet and co-exist here. Thanks to the habitat shaping activity of Man who has lived and worked here for thousands of years, plant and animal species that recall even remote regions of the world have become characteristic to the Pannonic region and form genuine wildlife communities that are typical only to this landscape and are not found further west The Hungarian landscape, the salt steppes of the 'puszta', the loess grasslands, marshes, the flood plains of the rivers Danube, Tisza, Dráva and Körös, the scrub forests of our hills, and the wonderful karstic caves are extraordinary, world-scale miracles! Nature conservation aims to preserve these outstandingly unique and precious natural systems fully functional for the future, and has, therefore, established national parks to ensure their survival. But what are these national parks in fact? The 1996 Act on nature conservation gives the following definition: „National parks are such extensive territories of Hungary whose natural character has not been significantly altered, and whose primary function Is to conserve the natural botanical, zoological, geological, hydrologlcal, scenic and cultural historical assets of outstanding Importance, sustain biodiversity and the sound functioning of natural systems, promote education, scientific research and recreation." The first national park of the world, the Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 in the United States. This year is also regarded as the start of state nature conservation. At the effect of a letter formulated and signed by internationally renowned scientists under the Pro Natura Action, the first Hungarian national park was established in the Hortobágy, in 1973. It is considered as the greatest achievement of nature conservation in Hungary that 9 more national parks have been established during the thirty years since that time. The last one, the Őrség National Park was founded in 2002. This album contains an exclusive selection of the natural and landscape assets of Hungary's ten national parks, or, if you like, of the ten flagships of Hungarian nature conservation. Please, enjoy and learn about this bright side of Hungary through the beautiful nature photographs!