Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park
Taman Nasional Komodo
Komodo dragon at Komodo National Park
Map showing the location of Komodo National Park
Map showing the location of Komodo National Park
Komodo NP
LocationLesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia
Coordinates8°32′36″S 119°29′22″E / 8.54333°S 119.48944°E / -8.54333; 119.48944
Area1,733 km2 (669 sq mi)[1]
Established1980
Visitors45,000 (in 2010)
Governing bodyMinistry of Environment and Forestry
Websitewww.komodonationalpark.org
CriteriaNatural: vii, x
Reference609
Inscription1991 (15th Session)

Komodo National Park (Indonesian: Taman Nasional Komodo) is a national park in Indonesia located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in the border region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca, and 26 smaller ones, with a total area of 1,733 km2 (603 km2 of it land). The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. Later it was dedicated to protecting other species, including marine species. In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve. It is considered one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots.

Komodo National Park has been selected as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.[2] The waters surrounding Komodo island contain rich marine biodiversity. Komodo islands is also a part of the Coral Triangle, which contains some of the richest marine biodiversity on Earth.

It is also a WWF Global 200 Marine Eco-region, a WWF/IUCN Centre of Plant Diversity, one of the world’s Endemic Bird Areas and an ASEAN Heritage Park.

  1. ^ World Heritage Site Database
  2. ^ New 7 Wonders of the world, retrieved 29 December 2011