Wadi El Gamal National Park

A Red Sea beach at Wadi el Gamal


Wadi El Gamal National Park is a national park in Egypt. It is 7,450 square kilometres (2,880 sq mi) in size, including 4,770 square kilometres (1,840 sq mi) of land and 2,100 square kilometres (810 sq mi) of marine space.[1]

The coastal area features coral reefs with 450 species of coral and over 1200 species of fish. Approximately 17% of the marine life is native to the Red Sea.[2] It also includes five islands, including Wadi El Gamal Island. These islands are a breeding ground for 13 bird species, and local sea grasses are important sources of food for the endangered dugong and green turtle.[2]

The inland area is home to many animals, including the Dorcas gazelle and the Nubian Ibex.[2]

The park is the site of prehistoric rock art, as well as Ptolemaic and Roman ruins, and the mountain Mons Smaragdus is the site of small mining communities that date back to ancient Egypt.[2]

Wadi El Gamal is a IUCN Category II park, established in 2003.[1]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wadi el Gemal National Park.
  1. 1 2 Wadi el Gamaal - Hamata National Park, Protected Planet
  2. 1 2 3 4 Wadi El Gemal National Park Integrated Development Plan, Egyptian Ministry of Environment


Coordinates: 24°21′08″N 35°02′55″E / 24.352101°N 35.048675°E / 24.352101; 35.048675

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.