The Central Balkan National Park ( Bulgarian : Национален парк Централен Балкан ) is a national park in the heart of Bulgaria , nestled in the central and higher portions of the Balkan Mountains . Its altitude varies from 550 metres (1,800 ft) near the town of Karlovo to 2,376 metres (7,795 ft) at Botev Peak , the highest summit in the range. It was established on 31 October 1991.
15-605: The park is the third-largest protected territory in Bulgaria, spanning an area of 716.69 km with a total length of 85 km from west to east and an average width of 10 km. It occupies parts of 5 of the country's 28 provinces: Lovech , Gabrovo , Sofia , Plovdiv and Stara Zagora . The national park also includes nine nature reserves , covering 28% of its territory: Boatin , Tsarichina , Kozya Stena , Steneto , Severen Dzhendem , Peeshti Skali , Sokolna , Dzhendema and Stara Reka . The Central Balkan National Park
30-617: A regional body of the Ministry of the Environment and Waters, manages the Park. The Directorate engages local organizations, volunteers, and mountain enthusiasts in pursuing its goals. Centuries-old forests of beech , spruce , fir , hornbeam , and durmast oak cover most of the park. More than half of Bulgaria's native flora has been identified within the park, and of these, 10 species and two subspecies are endemic, found nowhere else in
45-579: Is home to 70% of all invertebrate organisms and 62% of all vertebrate animals in Bulgaria. There are 224 separate species of birds, making the Central Balkan National Park an important international bird refuge. The EU -funded CORINE BIOTOPS Project created a habitat classification methodology and 49 of the CORINE-classified habitat types are represented in the Central Balkan National Park. Of these, 24 are included on
60-463: Is one of the 28 provinces of Bulgaria , lying at the northern centre of the country. It is named after its main city: Lovech . As of December 2009, the population of the area was151,153. The Lovech province (област, oblast ) contains eight municipalities (singular: община, obshtina - plural: общини, obshtini ). The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic ,
75-646: Is one of the largest and most valuable of the protected areas in Europe. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Park as Category 2. The national park and eight of the nine nature reserves are on the UN list of Representative Protected Areas, and four of the nature reserves are included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme. The park
90-748: The 'List of Endangered Habitats', requiring special protection measures pursuant to the EU Convention on Habitats . The park's topography includes large alpine meadows, vertical rock faces, precipices, deep canyons, and waterfalls, as well as numerous mountain peaks, of which some 20 are situated at altitudes of 2,000 meters or higher. The Central Balkan National Park is a favorite spot for tourists, naturalists, and scientists alike. Lovech Province 43°0′N 24°30′E / 43.000°N 24.500°E / 43.000; 24.500 Lovech Province ( Bulgarian : Област Ловеч , romanized : Oblast Lovech , former name Lovech okrug )
105-573: The Council of Europe International Organisations Algeria , Cape Verde , the Holy See , San Marino and Russia are among non-signatories that have observer status at meetings of the committee. The convention led to the creation in 1998 of the Emerald network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) throughout the territory of the parties to the convention, which operates alongside
120-575: The European Union's Natura 2000 programme. All countries that have signed the convention must: To achieve successfully the aims of this Convention, a number of monitoring devices were implemented. The chosen experts are in charge of monitoring the implementation of the Standing Committee recommendation regarding species and habitats, as well as doing their own recommendations about specific conservation problems. The system
135-635: The Province did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census In the 2001 census, 167,877 people of the population of 169,951 of Lovech Province identified themselves as belonging to one of the following ethnic groups (with percentage of total population): In the 2001 census, 168,307 people of the population of 169,951 of Lovech Province identified one of the following as their mother tongue (with percentage of total population): 154,157 Bulgarian ( 90.7%), 6,994 Turkish ( 4.1%), 6,033 Romani ( 3.5%), and 1,123 other ( 0.7%). Religious adherence in
150-642: The main town or village (in bold), and the population as of December 2009. The Lovech province had a population of 169,951 according to a 2001 census , of which 49.1% were male and 50.9% were female . As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 151,153 of which 29.4% are inhabitants aged over 60 years. Total population (2011 census): 141 422 Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 130 180 persons: A further 11,000 persons in
165-636: The province according to 2001 census: Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats , also known as the Bern Convention (or Berne Convention ), is a binding international legal instrument in the field of Nature Conservation, it covers the natural heritage in Europe , as well as in some African countries. The Convention
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#1732772967091180-402: The total area. There are 59 species of mammals , 224 species of birds , 14 species of reptiles , 8 species of amphibia and 6 species of fish , as well as 2,387 species of invertebrates. The Central Balkan National Park was established in 1991 to conserve the unique natural scenery and heritage of this area and protect the customs and livelihood of the local population. The Park Directorate,
195-595: The world. Over 130 higher plants and animals encountered in the Central Balkan National Park are listed in the Bulgarian and the World Red Book of Endangered Species . There are 166 known species of medicinal plants within park boundaries, 12 of which are protected by law. In addition, there are 229 species of moss, 256 species of mushrooms, and 208 species of algae. The central portion of the Balkan Range
210-889: Was a full member of the WWF -led PAN Parks foundation. Since 2017, the ancient beech forests within all nine park reserves have been included in the Primeval Beech Forests World Heritage Site . The park falls within the Rodope montane mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forest . It is home to rare and endangered wildlife species and communities, self-regulating ecosystems of biological diversity, as well as historical sites of global cultural and scientific significance. The park's flora includes 2,340 species and subspecies of plants . Forests occupy 56% of
225-455: Was open for signature on 19 September 1979 and came into force on 1 June 1982. It is particularly concerned about protecting natural habitats and endangered species , including migratory species. The convention has three main aims, which are stated in Article 1: The convention is divided into: Member States of the Council of Europe, status as of 15 February 2022. States not members of
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