what is national park

A national park is an area set aside by a national government to preserve the natural environment for conservation purposes. National parks may be set aside for purposes of public recreation and enjoyment or because of their historical or scientific interest. Most of the landscapes and their accompanying plants and animals in a national park are kept in their natural state. The national parks in the United States and Canada tend to focus on the protection of both land and wildlife, those in the United Kingdom focus mainly on the land, and those in Africa primarily exist to conserve animals. Several other countries have large areas reserved in national parks, notably Brazil, Japan, India, and Australia. The concept of a park or nature reserve under state ownership originated in the United States in 1870, and the worlds first national park was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, created through legislation signed by U.S. Pres. Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. National parks were created by individuals who felt that pristine, natural sections of nature should be set aside and preserved from urban development. The National Park Service (NPS) was created in the United States in 1916 to administer the parks. The NPS preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.