Kluane / Wrangell–St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek

Coordinates: 61°11′51″N 140°59′31″W / 61.1975°N 140.992°W / 61.1975; -140.992
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Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek
Glacier in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park
LocationCanada and the United States
Coordinates61°11′51″N 140°59′31″W / 61.1975°N 140.992°W / 61.1975; -140.992
Area98391.21 km2 (37989.06 sq mi)
Governing bodyParks Canada, BC Parks, U.S. National Park Service
TypeNatural
Criteriavii, viii, ix, x
Designated1979 (3rd session)
Reference no.72
RegionEurope and North America
Extensions1992; 1994

Kluane / Wrangell–St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek is an international park system located in Canada and the United States, at the border of Yukon, Alaska and British Columbia.

It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 for the spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes as well as for the importance of grizzly bears, caribou and Dall sheep habitat.[1] The total area of the site is 98391.21 square kilometres (37989.06 sq mi), which is just smaller than the country of South Korea at 100339 square kilometres (38741 sq mi).

It is home to a number of notable landforms, including the world's largest non-polar icefield;[1] the largest piedmont glacier in the world, Malaspina Glacier; the world's longest interior valley glacier, Nabesna Glacier; as well as Canada's highest peak and North America's second-highest peak, Mount Logan, at 5,959 m (19,551 ft).

Park system[edit]

The international system comprises parks located in two countries and three administrative regions:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Unesco World Heritage Site (1994). "Kluane / Wrangell-St Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek". Retrieved 2007-05-11.