Kauhaneva-Pohjankangas National Park
Encyclopedia
Kauhaneva–Pohjankangas National Park is a national park
in the municipalities of Kauhajoki
and Karvia
in the Southern Ostrobothnia
and Satakunta regions of Finland
. Established in 1982, the park covers 57 square kilometres (22 sq mi). It consists of swamp areas, mainly bog
s such as the 16.3 square kilometre Kauhaneva bog, scattered around it.
In 2004, the park was included in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
. It is also part of the Natura 2000
network of protected areas.
The Kauhaneva–Pohjankangas area is part of the south-western region of the Suomenselkä
watershed
area. The soil is mostly turf
and the bedrock is composed of porphyric
granite
.
The northern parts of Kauhaneva are 170 to 177 m (557.7 to 580.7 ft) above sea level. The southern and western parts are approximately 160 metres (524.9 ft) above sea level.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the municipalities of Kauhajoki
Kauhajoki
Kauhajoki is a town and municipality of Finland. The city is unilingually Finnish.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region. The population of Kauhajoki is and the municipality covers an area of of which is inland water...
and Karvia
Karvia
Karvia is a municipality of Finland founded in 1865.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Satakunta region. The population of Karvia is and the municipality covers an area of of which is inland water . The population density is .Twin town of Karvia is Viru-Nigula...
in the Southern Ostrobothnia
Southern Ostrobothnia
Southern Ostrobothnia is one of the 20 regions of Finland.Seinäjoki is the regional centre and by far the largest city in the area.- Historical provinces :For History, Geography and Culture see: Ostrobothnia- Municipalities :...
and Satakunta regions of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Established in 1982, the park covers 57 square kilometres (22 sq mi). It consists of swamp areas, mainly bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s such as the 16.3 square kilometre Kauhaneva bog, scattered around it.
In 2004, the park was included in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
. It is also part of the Natura 2000
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union.-Origins:In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the...
network of protected areas.
Geography
Suomenselkä
Suomenselkä is a drainage divide in western Finland. Roughly long and wide, it is marked by an ensemble of northeast-southwest oriented moraines parallel to the Bothnian coastline. Rivers flowing west from Suomenselkä drain to the Gulf of Bothnia and the lakes in the east drain to the Gulf of...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
area. The soil is mostly turf
Sod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
and the bedrock is composed of porphyric
Porphyry (geology)
Porphyry is a variety of igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals, such as feldspar or quartz, dispersed in a fine-grained feldspathic matrix or groundmass. The larger crystals are called phenocrysts...
granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
.
The northern parts of Kauhaneva are 170 to 177 m (557.7 to 580.7 ft) above sea level. The southern and western parts are approximately 160 metres (524.9 ft) above sea level.