El Kala National Park

El Kala National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Locator map
Location	El Tarf Province, Algeria
Nearest city	El KalaNearest city: El Kala
Coordinates	36°49′N 8°25′E / 36.817°N 8.417°E / 36.817; 8.417Coordinates: 36°49′N 8°25′E / 36.817°N 8.417°E / 36.817; 8.417
Area	800 km²
Established	1993 Established: 1993

The national park of El Kala is one of the national parks of Algeria, in the extreme north-east of the country. It is home to several lakes (including Lake Tonga, whose name is unrelated to Tonga) and a unique ecosystem in the Mediterranean basin, it was created in 1983 and recognized as a biosphere reserve by the UNESCO in 1990. This park is treatened by the creation of a highway in Algeria, which would treathen the rare animals and plants of the park. It has been proposed that the highway should avoid this region and go further south.

External links

• El Kala National Park on UNESCO.org
• Park data on UNEP-WPMC
• (French) A petition for the preservation of the park
• (French) A website about the park, including a map