America's National Parks A national park is an area created to preserve the natural environment or to protect areas where important events in history happened. In a national park, the landscape(1), the plants and the anima are in their natural state. Some national parks do not allow visitors. In others, visitors are welcome t they must follow special rules to protect plants and animals. When you enter Yellowstone National Park, located in the west of America, you pass under a huge arch(2) with the words 'For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People'. This simple notice sends a ven important message: the park, one of the most beautiful places on Earth, is for everyone. No matter your background(3), your education, your age, or if you are rich or not, you own this place. It's your Yellowstone became the world's first national park in 1872. It's home to more geysers and hot springs(4) than any other area in the world. In its two million acres there are 45 waterfalls, 600 lake and lots of wildlife, such as bears and wolves. It has one of most diverse ecosystems in the United States. Visitors can hike in the woods, climb mountains, go swimming or rafting in the rivers, ride horses and do lots of other outdoor activities. Today, there are 420 national parks in America. Around 328 million people visit them every year. No all the sites are natural parks. Some are historic sites, monuments and memorials, such as the President's Park at the White House and the Statue of Liberty. The most visited National Park in America is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the Appalachian Mountains. (1) landscape: paesaggio (2) arch: arco (3) background: origini (4) hot springs: sorgenti termali * 6 pul T F NG National parks are only in the middle of nature. Great Smoky

Geography