Shumen Plateau Nature Park
| Shumen Plateau Nature Park | |
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| Bulgarian: Природен парк Шуменско плато | |
Shumen Plateau forest near Shumen
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| Location | Shumen Heights, Shumen Province, Bulgaria |
| Nearest city | Shumen |
| Coordinates | 43°15′59″N 26°52′41″E / 43.26639°N 26.87806°ECoordinates: 43°15′59″N 26°52′41″E / 43.26639°N 26.87806°E |
| Area | 3,929.9 hectares (9,711 acres) |
| Established | 1980 as national park, and as nature park in 2003 |
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The Shumen Plateau Nature Park (Bulgarian: Природен парк Шуменско плато) is located in the Shumen Plateau of the northern province of Shumen of Bulgaria, the highest plateau of the Danubian Plain. The Park encloses the Bukaka Reserve Forest, which is known for indigenous Fagus sylvatica Fagus sylvatica (common beech) moesiaca (the Balkan beech) forest. This Park was declared a National Park in 1980 and a Nature Park in 2003 to conserve its ecosystems and floral and faunal biodiversity, and to preserve its tableland landscape together with many tourist sites such as the Shumen fortress, the Founders of the Bulgarian State Monument, cave monasteries, and surface and underground karst caves. The park has the first thematic educational trail in the Karst Nature Park, constructed as part of a project titled "Natural Park of Shumen Plateau" with funds provided by the EU Cohesion Fund and the Republic of Bulgaria; the trail is integral to the Operational Program "Environment 2007–2013".
Located in Northeast Bulgaria, the park is part of the Shumen Plateau, which in turn is integral to the "Shumen Heights" to its east. The plateau is one of three zones of the Shumen Heights, the other two being the Balkan area in its central part and the Fiseka on its west. Together, the three zones are in the shape of an irregular rectangle oriented in northwest-southeast direction. The river valleys in this area form the shape of segmented bays.
The entire plateau is delimited on the northern border by the Pakosha, Strazhka, and Chairdere river valleys; by Pakosha and Vranato valleys on its west; by the Vrana, Ticha, and Kamchia river valleys on the south; and the lowlands of the Shumen-Smyadovo border on the east, while the Fiseka mountain rises to a height of 500.5 metres (1,642 ft) in a north-west direction. The plateau is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) long from west to east; and 7–8 kilometres (4.3–5.0 mi) wide south to north, 7–8 kilometres (4.3–5.0 mi) wide in the far south; 9–10 kilometres (5.6–6.2 mi) wide in the central part; 11–12 kilometres (6.8–7.5 mi) wide towards the north and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) wide in the northern extremity. Width wise, the plateau is oriented in north-south direction and extends 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) and 17 kilometres (11 mi) respectively. The plateau covers a total area of 73.13 square kilometres (28.24 sq mi).
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Wikipedia