Curonian Spit National Park (Russia)
Curonian Spit National Park | |
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Куршская коса (Russian) Also: Kurshskaya Kosa |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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Curonian Spit
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Location of Park
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Location | Kaliningrad Oblast |
Nearest city | Kaliningrad |
Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
Area | 6,621 hectares (16,361 acres; 66 km2; 26 sq mi) |
Established | 1987 |
Governing body | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Russia) |
Curonian Spit National Park (Russian: Куршская коса) (Also: Kurshskaya Kosa) covers the Russian-owned southern 41 km of the 98 km long, curved Curonian Spit – a type of depositional sandbar. The spit separates the salt-water Baltic Sea (on the west) from the freshwater Curonian Lagoon to the east. The southern portion of the spit lies within Zelenogradsky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia; the northern portion lies within southwestern Lithuania. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by the two countries.[1]
Topography
The foundations of the spit were created about 15,000 BCE as the receding glaciers left the Baltic Sea behind, and the sand dunes of the Curonian built on the glacial moraine.[2] The actions of sea and wind build large dunes, which average 35 meters on the spit. The area is one of high biodiversity due to the many different ecological communities in close proximity to each other: beach, dune ridge, wetlands of various types, meadows and forests. The Curonian Spit is the second longest spit in the world, after the 110-km long Arabat Spit in the Sea of Azov. The park follows the spit from the Sambian Peninsula in the south to the border with Lithuania about 40 km north; its width varies from 0.4 to 4 km.[3] The water in the lagoon averages 3.7 meters in depth, and the water level of the lagoon is about 12 cm above that of the Baltic.
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Curonian Spit from Space, 2006.jpg
Curonian Spit (and Curonian Lagoon) from Space, 2006
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Дюна Эфа, вид на Балтийское море.JPG
Beach in Kurshskaya National Park
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Лебедь озеро.jpg
Swan Lake, Kurshskaya National Park
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Curonian Spit.png
Map of Curonian Lagoon, spit to the west
Plants and animals
Birds and waterfowl are abundant, as the park has abundant wetlands and is on major migratory routes. 262 species of birds have been recorded in the park, and 100 are known to nest and breed in the territory. The park is also home to 46 species of mammals, including elk, European roe deer, wild boar, fox, marten, raccoon dog, badger, hare, red squirrel, and beaver. The park has recorded over 290 species of terrestrial vertebrates, representing 80% of the species found in the Kaliningrad region. Plant-life is similarly varied: 889 species, hybrids, varieties and forms of wild vascular plants of 398 genera and 111 families.[2]
See also
- Curonian Spit National Park (Lithuania) - Neighboring park to the north in Lithuania
- Protected areas of Russia
- List of spits
- Nature reserves of Russia (zapovedniks)
References
External links
- UNESCO World Heritage Site - Curonian Spit listing
- Official Kurshskaya Kosa Guide - App for iPhone or Android
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