National Parks in Gujarat – At present, there are a total of 106 national parks in India, out of which a total of 4 national parks are located in the state of Gujarat. In this article, we will read about all 4 National Parks in Gujarat State with Map. If you are preparing for any exam like UPSC, IAS, SSC MTS, SSC GD, SSC CHSL, SSC CGL, SSC CPO, NDA, CDS, or Bank PO then must read this article thoroughly.
Gujarat Map
Gujarat is an Indian state along the west coast of India. The length of the coastline of Gujarat is 1600 km, which is the state with the longest coastline in India. Gujarat state is the 5th largest state in terms of area and 9th largest state in terms of population. The state of Gujarat shares borders with the states of Rajasthan in the north-east, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in the south, Maharashtra in the south-east and Madhya Pradesh in the east. Gujarat shares a border with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Sindh state of Pakistan.
Important facts related to Gujarat
- Gujarat State establishment – May 1, 1960
- Total number of districts in Gujarat state – 33
- The official language of Gujarat – Gujarati
- Capital of Gujarat – Gandhinagar
- The largest city of Gujarat – Ahmedabad
- High Court of Gujarat – Ahmedabad
- State Animal of Gujarat – Asiatic Lion
- State Bird of Gujarat – Greater Flamingo
- State Flower of Gujarat – Marigold
- State Tree of Gujarat – Banyan
- State fruit of Gujarat – Mango
List of National Parks in Gujarat
The names of all 4 National Parks in Gujarat state with the year of declaration and total area are given in the following table.
| S.N. | National Park | District | Declared Year | Area (km2) |
| 1. | Gir National Park | Junagarh, Amreli and Somnath | 1975 | 258.71 |
| 2. | Blackbuck National Park | Bhavnagar | 1976 | 34.53 |
| 3. | Vansda National Park | Navsari | 1979 | 23.99 |
| 4. | Gulf of Kutch National Park | Devbhoomi, Dwarka and Jamnagar | 1982 | 162.89 |
All 4 National Parks in Gujarat State are marked in the map given below.
Now we will discuss in detail all 4 National Parks in Gujarat State.
Gir National Park
- Gir National Park is a protected area in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in 3 districts Junagadh, Gir Somnath, and Amreli.
- It is also known as Sasan Gir and was declared as Sasan Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in September 1965 to protect Asiatic lions.
- Along with the national park, it also has the status of a forest area and wildlife sanctuary.
- The area of Gir National Park used to be the private hunting ground of the king of Junagadh.
- It was given the status of a National Park in the year 1965 and its total area is 258.71 sq km.
- Gir National Park is one of the seven protected areas for biodiversity, implemented by the World Bank and funded by the Global Environment Facility.
- Gir National Park is mainly famous for Asiatic Lions, according to the 14th Asiatic Lion Census in the year 2015, there are a total of 523 lions in Gir National Park. It is the only natural habitat in the world for the Asiatic Lion.
- A total of 7 rivers flow south from Gir National Park.
Flora and Fauna
- Major wildlife – Asiatic lion, sambar, crocodile, langur, jackal, chital, chausingha, fox, chinkara, etc.
- In Gir National Park mainly trees of dry deciduous forests like – Acacia, Khair, Teak, Ber, Sadad, Timru, etc. are found.
Velavadar or Blackbuck National Park
- Velavadar or Blackbuck National Park is a protected area located at the western end of the Gulf of Khambhat in the Bhavnagar district of the state of Gujarat.
- It was given the status of a national park in the year 1976 and this national park is spread over an area of 34.08 sq km.
- This national park was established mainly for the protection of Blackbuck, Indian Gray Wolf, and Lesser Florican birds.
- In ancient times this was the private pasture of the Maharaja of Bhavnagar.
Flora and Fauna
- Major wildlife – jackal, wolf, fox, jungle cat, chinkara, small florican “(Kharmor is a large size long-legged Indian bird. It is also called ‘Cheenimore’ or ‘Cermore’)”, Houbara Bastard, etc.
- About 61% of the area of Blackbuck National Park is grassland 15% is scrubland and the other area is saltland and tidal mudflat.
Vansda National Park
- Vansda National Park is a protected area located on the foothills of the Sahyadri mountain range in the Navsari district of the state of Gujarat.
- This forest area situated on the banks of river Ambika was given the status of a National Park in the year 1979 and this national park is spread over an area of 24 sq km.
- Vansda National Park along with Purna Wildlife Sanctuary covers the northern part of the Western Ghats mountain range in Gujarat.
Flora and Fauna
- Major Wildlife – Rhesus Macaque Monkey, Barking Deer, Hyena, Flying Squirrel, Porcupine, Human Langur, Four Horned Deer, Leopard, Wild Boar, etc.
- Moist deciduous forests are found in Vansda National Park, in which trees of Kusum, Behda, Ambala, Kakkar, Bamboo, Teak, etc. are prominent.
Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park
- The Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park is located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Kutch in the Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts of the state of Gujarat.
- In the year 1980, an area of 270 sq km from Okha to Jodie Nagar was declared as a Marine Sanctuary, and in the year 1982 its core area of 110 sq km was declared as India’s first Marine National Park.
- The total area of this national park is 162.89 sq km and the total area of declared marine sanctuary is 457.92 sq km.
- This national park is made up of 40 small coral islands.
Flora and Fauna
- 70 species of sponge, 44 of hard coral 10 of soft coral, and 90 species of birds are found in this national park.
- Mangrove forest areas are the specialty of the Gulf of Kutch National Park and it occupies 93% of the total mangrove forest area of Gujarat.
- Gujarat is the state with the largest mangrove forest area after the Sundarbans of West Bengal.
National Parks in Gujarat FAQs
Question 1 – Which is the national park in Gujarat?
Answer – Gir National Park, Blackbuck National Park, Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park, and Vansda National Park are located in the state of Gujarat.
Question 2 – How many national parks are there in Gujarat?
Answer – There are a total of 4 national parks in Gujarat.
- Gir National Park
- Blackbuck National Park
- Bansda National Park
- Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park
Question 3 – Which is the first Marine National Park in India?
Answer – Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park is the first marine national park in India, It was established in 1982, located in the state of Gujarat, India.
Question 4 – What is Gir National Park famous for?
Answer – Gir National Park is famous for the natural habitat of Asiatic lions and this national park is located in the state of Gujarat
Question 5 – Which is the largest national park in Gujarat?
Answer – In terms of area, Gir National Park is the largest national park in Gujarat.
So in this way, we have covered all the essential facts about all 4 National Parks in Gujarat State from various exam points of view. I hope you liked this article.
To Learn about more state-wise National Parks Visit KV Guruji National Parks.
