Huascarán National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Huascarán) is a national park in the Cordillera Blanca, a range of the Andes, in the Ancash region of central Peru. This article is about national parks. ... The Cordillera Blanca (White Range) is a mountain range in the Peruvian Andes. ... Note that the geology in this article currently reflects views from the first decade of the 20th century. ... Categories: Peru ...

Protected status

In 1985 the park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Its protection was initially arranged by the Peruvian government in 1975 in order to safeguard flora and fauna, geological formations, archaeological remains (including relics of the Chavin culture), and the panoramic scenery of the Cordillera Blanca, and to encourage scientific research into the area's natural and cultural resources. Tourism is promoted in the area, making its protected status a source of wealth for its inhabitants and others. Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ... Divisions Green algae Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria Acoelomorpha Orthonectida Rhombozoa Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia    Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... Importance and applicability Most of human history is not described by any written records. ... Chavín & Chavín influence The Chavín were an early civilization that existed in what is now the country of Peru. ...

Physical environment

Huascarán National Park is home to mountains ranging from 2000 to over 6000 m in height. Huascarán, the mountain from which the park takes its name, is the highest in Peru at 6768 m, and rises above nearby peaks such as Alpamayo and Pisco. Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain of the Cordillera Blanca, part of the Western Andes, and at 6768 metres its southern peak (Huascarán Sur) is the highest in Peru and the fourth highest in South America. ... Alpamayo is one of 50 peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, part of the Peruvian Andes. ...

The park's 300,000 ha contain 663 glaciers, 296 lakes and 41 tributaries of three important rivers: the Santa, Pativilca and Marañón. Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner. ... A lake is a body of water surrounded by land. ... A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ... For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A waterfall on the Ova da Fedoz, Switzerland A river is a large natural waterway. ... Santa has two meanings: the shortened form of Santa Claus the Spanish word for a female saint, as in Santa Fe (the masculine form is san or santo); the word has the same or similar spellings and meanings in several romance languages This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid... The river Marañón rises about 100 miles to the north-east of Lima, Peru. ...

Climate

The climate of the park is characterised by two stages during the year. This depends on two major factors: the warm, humid winds from the Amazon Basin, which generate abundant rain between December and March; and a pronounced dry period between May and October, with sunny days that reach 25°C and nights of intense cold during which temperatures can drop below 0°C, and well below that at higher altitudes. Wind is the quasi-horizontal movement of air (as opposed to an air current) caused by a horizontal pressure gradient force. ... Geography The South American rainforest of Amazonia (60% located in Brazil), the largest in the world, was originally covered by more than 7,000,000 km² (2 million square miles) of dense tropical forest. ... Rain is a form of precipitation, other forms of which include snow, sleet, hail, and dew. ...

Flora and fauna

The park is home to considerable biodiversity, with over 779 species of high Andean plants and 112 species of birds having been identified, including the condor (Vultur gryphus), torrent duck (Merganetta armata), and Puna tinamou (Tinamotis pentlandii). Amongst mammals, more than ten species have been observed, several of them endangered, such as the pampas cat (Oncifelis colocolo), Andean cat (Oreailurus jacobita), spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), Peruvian huemul (Hippocamelus antisensis), and vicuña (Vicugna vicugna). Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of and in living nature. ... In biology, a species is a kind of organism. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Species Vultur gryphus Gymnogyps californianus Note that Condor is the NATO reporting name for the Russian/Soviet Antonov An-124 transport aircraft. ... Binomial name Merganetta armata (Gould, 1842) The Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata) is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. ... Genera The Tinamous are one of the most ancient groups of bird, members of a South American bird family of about 47 species in 9 genera. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... For other uses, see endangered species. ... Binomial name Oncifelis colocolo (Molina, 1782) The Pampas Cat, also known as the Grass Cat, is a small striped cat native to western central South America, ranging from Ecuador and Chile across the Andes Mountain into Argentina and some neighbouring countries. ... Binomial name Oreailurus jacobita Cornalia, 1865 The Andean Cat is also known as the Andean Mountain Cat. ... Binomial name Tremarctos ornatus The Spectacled Bear, also known as Andean Bear, has black fur with a disctincitve beige-coloured marking across its face and upper chest. ... Genera About 15 in 4 subfamilies. ... Binomial name Vicugna vicugna (Molina, 1782) The vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) is a relative of the llama and a member of the camelid family which lives in the high Andes. ...

Activities

It is possible to walk among mountains of over 6000 m in height without being an experienced mountaineer, although there are peaks which attract the most dedicated climbers. As well as this, ecotourism, horse riding, skiing and guided archaeological excursions are all popular. If you were looking for the car, please see Mercury Mountaineer. ... Ecotourism essentially means ecological tourism, where ecological has both environmental and social connotations. ... Binomial name Equus caballus The Horse (Equus caballus) is a large ungulate mammal, one of the seven modern species of the genus Equus. ... Skiing is the activity of gliding over snow using skis (originally wooden planks, now usually made from fiberglass or related composites) strapped to the feet with ski bindings. ...