Khenifiss National Park (French: Le Parc National Khenifiss) is a national park in the south-west of Morocco, located near Akhfenir on the Atlantic coast in the region of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra. Established in 2006, the park was created to protect desert, wetland and coastal dune landscapes.[3] The government has declared its intention to turn the park into a major tourist attraction specialising in ecotourism.[1]
| Khenifiss National Park | |
|---|---|
 Sand dunes in the park, with the Atlantic Ocean in the background | |
  | |
| Location | Morocco |
| Nearest city | Tan-Tan, Tarfaya |
| Coordinates | 27°56′N 12°20′W / 27.933°N 12.333°W |
| Area | 1,850 square kilometres (710 sq mi)[1] |
| Established | September 26, 2006[1] |
| Official name | Baie de Khnifiss |
| Designated | 20 June 1980 |
| Reference no. | 209[2] |
Geography
editThe park, with an area of 1,850 km2 (710 sq mi), lies on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, north of the border with Western Sahara, between the towns of Tan-Tan to the north and Tarfaya to the south. National Route 1, which runs along the Atlantic coast of Morocco, passes through the park. The coastal section comprises the Khenfiss lagoon, the largest lagoon on the Moroccan coast. An inland, desert, section includes sabkhas, dunes and limestone plateaus, and is typical of Sahara landscapes.
Environment
editThe lagoon is an important bird breeding ground. Ruddy shelducks, marbled ducks and Audouin's gulls inhabit the lagoon permanently, and many species migrate here in winter. Every year, about 20,000 birds stay in the lagoon area in the winter season.[3] The site has also been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant wintering populations of waterbirds.[4]
History
editThe park was first created as a natural reserve in 1960. In 1980 it was classified as a wetland of international importance. In 1983, the natural reserve was transformed into a Permanent Biological Reserve. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 12 October 1998 in the "natural" category.[5] On 26 September 2006, the national park was created.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Bienvenue au site du Parc national de Khenifiss" (in French). Parc national de Khenifiss. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ "Baie de Khnifiss". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Le Parc National Khenifiss" (in French). Centre d'Échange d'Information sur la Biodiversité du Maroc. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ^ "Lagune de Khnifiss". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ "Lagune de Khnifiss". UNESCO. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
External links
edit
Media related to Khenifiss National Park at Wikimedia Commons
