Komodo, << kuh MOH doh >> , National Park is a protected area on several volcanic islands in Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda group. The park lies between the islands of Flores and Sumbawa. It covers about 230 square miles (600 square kilometers) of land on the islands of Komodo, Padar, and Rinca, as well as a number of smaller islands. The total area of the park, including water, is more than 700 square miles (1,800 square kilometers).
The islands feature sandy beaches and rugged coastlines. The land is primarily savanna (grassland with low trees), but there are areas of rain forest at higher elevations. The highest point in the park is the 2,400-foot (735-meter) Gunung Satalibo, on Komodo Island.
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Indonesia’s government created Komodo National Park in 1980 for the protection of the native Komodo dragon , the world’s largest living lizard. Komodo dragons live only on the islands that now make up the park and in small areas of the nearby island of Flores. The park has since expanded its focus to protect other native plants and animals. In 1991, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the park a World Heritage Site. UNESCO considers such sites to be areas of unique natural or cultural importance.
More than 3,000 people live in four settlements within the park’s boundaries. These settlements all existed prior to the creation of the park. Most of the current inhabitants moved to the settlements from other islands in the Lesser Sunda group. Fishing is the major economic activity.
