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Volcan Masaya National Park

Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party.

Nicaragua (Latin America and the Caribbean)
Date of Submission: 19/06/1995
Category: Natural
Submited by: Ministery of Natural Resources and the Environment-MARENA
Coordinates: Long. 86°09' West Lat. 11°57' North
Ref.: 487

Description

The Masaya National Park consists of a complex volcano with three craters that have formed one larger boiler. These are in constant activity and present lava outflows at different dates with signs of the successional colonization processes. The park area contains various species in danger of extinction and is a very representative sample of a Tropical Dry Forest. The volcano, because of its great beauty, its geological and ecological importance, besides its accessibility to Managua, was the first National Park in Nicaragua and is presently the best maintained protected area in the country. Because of its volcanological characteristics, it is unique and comparable only to the Kilahuea volcano of Hawaii.