Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park
Encyclopedia
Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park is a national park
in the Kymenlaakso
region in Finland
. It was established in 1982 and covers 6.7 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) on land. The park consist only of small (under 1 km²) islands and islets, some of which grow forest, mostly pine trees.
Most of the islands are treeless rocks with sheer shores. Their sheerness is due to the rapakivi granite
splitting in a sharply cubical manner.
The national park is known for its aquatic bird fauna. The most common aquatic birds are the Goosander and Tufted Duck
. Other birds, including the Razorbill
and Black Guillemot
, nest on the park's protected islands.
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 Kymenlaakso
Kymenlaakso
Kymenlaakso is a region in Finland. It borders to the regions Uusimaa, Päijänne Tavastia, Southern Savonia, and South Karelia.- Historical provinces :For history, geography and culture see: Uusimaa , Karelia- Municipalities :...
region in 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...
. It was established in 1982 and covers 6.7 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) on land. The park consist only of small (under 1 km²) islands and islets, some of which grow forest, mostly pine trees.
Most of the islands are treeless rocks with sheer shores. Their sheerness is due to the rapakivi granite
Rapakivi granite
Rapakivi granite is a hornblende-biotite granite containing large rounded crystals of orthoclase mantled with oligoclase. The name has come to be used most frequently as a textural term where it implies plagioclase rims around orthoclase in plutonic rocks...
splitting in a sharply cubical manner.
The national park is known for its aquatic bird fauna. The most common aquatic birds are the Goosander and Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
. Other birds, including the Razorbill
Razorbill
The Razorbill is colonial seabird that will only come to land in order to breed. It is the largest living member of the Auk family. This agile bird will choose only one partner for life and females will lay one egg per year. Razorbills will nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed...
and Black Guillemot
Black Guillemot
The Black Guillemot or Tystie is a medium-sized alcid.Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch, a thin dark bill, and red legs and feet. They show white wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are pale grey and the underparts are white. The wings remain black with the large...
, nest on the park's protected islands.