Darién National Park
Darién National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Darién) is a World Heritage Site in Panama. It is about 325 kilometers (202 mi) from Panama City, is the most extensive of all national parks of Panama, and is one of the most important World Heritage Sites in Central America.
| Darién National Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category II (national park) | |
Collared aracari at Darién National Park | |
| Location | Darién Province, Panama |
| Coordinates | 7°44′10″N 77°32′50″W |
| Area | 5,790 km2 (2,240 sq mi) |
| Established | 27 September 1980 |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | Darien National Park |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, ix, x |
| Designated | 1981 (5th session) |
| Reference no. | 159 |
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
The Darién National Park is a natural bridge spanning North and South America.
In 1972, an area of 700,000 hectares (1,700,000 acres) became part of the Alto Darién Protection Forest. In 1980, the area was declared a national park. In 1983, an area of 859,333 hectares (2,123,460 acres) became a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The park covers 5,790 square kilometers (2,240 sq mi).
It is located in southernmost Panama in Darién province and its southern boundary extends along 90 percent of the Colombia–Panama border. It lies between the Serranía del Darién range, which parallels the Caribbean Sea 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) to the northeast, and the Pacific Ocean coast. It is adjacent to the Los Katíos National Park in Colombia.