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Fiordland National Park | |
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Location | Southland, New Zealand |
Nearest town | Te Anau, New Zealand |
Coordinates | 45°25′S 167°43′E / 45.417°S 167.717°E |
Area | 12,607 km2 (4,868 sq mi) |
Established | 1952 |
Governing body | Department of Conservation |
Official name | Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand |
Type | Natural |
Criteria | vii, viii, ix, x |
Designated | 1990 (14th session) |
Reference no. | 551 |
Region | Oceania |
Fiordland National Park is a national park in the south-west corner of South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 13 national parks in New Zealand, with an area covering 12,607 km2 (4,868 sq mi),[1] and a major part of the Te Wāhipounamu a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 1990. The park is administered by the Department of Conservation. The southern ranges of the Southern Alps cover most of Fiordland National Park, combined with the deep glacier-carved valleys.
The park is a significant refuge for many threatened native animals, ranging from dolphins and bats to reptiles, insects, and endangered species of birds endemic to New Zealand such as the takahē, mōhua, kākāpō, and southern brown kiwi.