The Parc naturel régional de Camargue is a protected area which was designated in 1970 along the shoreline of the

Camargue The Camargue (, also , , ; ) is a coastal region in southern France located south of the city of Arles, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône river delta. The eastern arm is called the Grand Rhône; the western is the ''P ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The park protects a

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

environment and an adjacent marine area. The boundaries of the park have been expanded to include a lagoon called the

Étang de Vaccarès Étang de Vaccarès is a lake, or, more accurately, a salt water lagoon (), in the wetlands of the Camargue in the delta of the River Rhône in southern France. Description The lake has an area of 65 km2, and the depth is less than two m ...

. The Camargue is also the site of a national nature reserve, and has been designated by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

as a

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

Twinning

The park is twinned with a Spanish wetland, the Doñana National Park at the mouth of the

Guadalquivir The Guadalquivir (, also , , ) is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest river with its entire length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from Seville ...

. The two parks share a number of characteristics including significance for bird-life and semi-feral horses, and proximity to a pilgrimage site (

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (, alternatively with the definite article Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, "(the) Saint Marys of the Sea", locally Les Saintes, ; Provençal: ''Lei Santei Marias de la Mar'' or ''Li Sànti Marìo de la Mar'' ), is the c ...

and the

Hermitage of El Rocío The Hermitage of El Rocío ( or ''Ermita de El Rocío'') is a hermitage at El Rocío in the countryside of Almonte, Province of Huelva, Andalusia, Spain. The hermitage is home to the Virgin of El Rocío (), a small, much-venerated carved wood s ...

).
El hermanamiento del Espacio Natural de Doñana y la Camarga francesa
Article on the twinning In 1992, the site was formally twinned with the

Danube Delta The Danube Delta (, ; , ) is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. Occurring where the Danube, Danube River empties into the Black Sea, most of the Danube Delta lies in Romania ...

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

Ramsar site by an agreement between the governments of Romania and France. Ramsar site no. 521.

References

External links

Camargue, a delta and its people

Parcs naturels régionaux de France, Camargue
Geography of Bouches-du-Rhône Camargue Biosphere reserves of France Carmargue Marine reserves Tourist attractions in Bouches-du-Rhône {{Europe-protected-area-stub

Twinning

See also

References

External links