National Park "Kakadu", located 170 km from Darwin - a mandatory part of the program of tourists coming to northern Australia.

Here they are attracted breathtaking landscapes, aboriginal culture and abundance of wildlife. The park is popular with a lot of visitors waterfalls and gorges such as Maguk, Hanle, Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls.

The largest national park in the country stretches 200 km from north to south and more than 100 km from east to west in the region alligator rivers. The total area of ​​the park is the area of ​​Slovenia, or nearly half the area of ​​Switzerland.

The park's name comes not from the name of a beautiful cockatoo birds, and from a mispronunciation of the word "Gagadzhu» (Gagadju), the so-called language, which is spoken by the natives living in the northern part of the park.

"Kakadu" amazingly diverse in ecological and biological relations. There are taken under the protection of river systems 4, 6 large landscape forms, estuaries and marshy lowlands, flood plains, valleys, mountain hills, more than 280 species of birds, about 60 species of mammals, 1700 species of plants and more than 10 thousand species of insects!

Aborigines lived in the area for the past 40 thousand years, and the objects of their culture and way of life is also protected in the park - where you can find more than 5,000 sites related to aboriginal history. On site parking Ubirr, Burrungay Nanguluvur and there are unique examples of rock art of the ancient inhabitants of these places. Among the figures - the image of hunters and shamans told for posterity the stories of creation.

About half of the park is owned by the indigenous tribes of the Northern Territory, and under the law, the Directorate of the park rents the land for management of the national park. Natives who live today in the "Kakadu" (about 5000), - the descendants of the different tribes lived here since ancient times. The style of life changed in recent years, but their traditions and beliefs are an important part of their culture.

Among the first non-native researchers northern coast of Australia were Chinese, Malays and Portuguese, and the first documented description of the Dutch left. In 1644 Abel Tasman was the first who made the pin-Europeans with the aborigines. Half a century later, Matthew Flinders explored the Gulf of Carpentaria in the years 1802-1803. Between 1818 and 1822 in the Gulf visited the English navigator Philip Parker Kean, who called this area alligator rivers because of the huge number of crocodiles. In the mid-19th century on the territory of the future park "Kakadu" with varying degrees of success began to appear the British settlement, and by the end of the century - the first missionaries. In the 20th century there was mined gold and uranium.

"Kakadu" was founded in the years when the Australian community was interested in the creation of national parks for the conservation of biodiversity and the recognition of Aboriginal land rights. In 1965 he was drafted for the establishment of the park in the region alligator river, but only in 1978. The Australian Government has agreed to lease these lands for conservation purposes. The current territory of the park included in its structure in three stages from 1979 to 1991.

Flora "Kakadu" - one of the richest in northern Australia, is home to over 1,700 species of plants! And each geographic area of ​​the park - its unique flora. For example, in the so-called Stone country dominated rock vegetation that has adapted to extremely hot temperatures and prolonged drought, alternating periods of heavy rains. Monsoon forest - a huge banyan and kapok spiny soft scarlet flowers - are grown in cool and humid gorges. On the southern hills you can find endemic plants that grow only in the "Kakadu", such as eucalyptus koolpinensis. In the swampy lowlands, flooded for several months a year, is growing sedges, mangroves, pandanus and cinchona.

A variety of habitat in the park supports an astounding variety of animal life, some of which are endemic, rare and endangered species. Given the extreme weather conditions of the park, many animals are active only at certain times of day or season. On the territory of "Kakadu" There are about 60 species of mammals, most of them at night, making it difficult to meet with them. But there are others, which can be seen during the day - for example, wallabies and kangaroos (they are 8 species!). Among other common inhabitants of the park - wild dingo, black vallaru (mountain kangaroos), flecked marsupial martens, large marsupial rat, brown bandicoots. In the coastal waters there are dugongs.

Cultural and natural values ​​of the park, "Kakadu" internationally recognized - in 1992 the National Park was inscribed on the List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.