Gunung Lorentz National Park

Gunung Lorentz National Park, covering 6 million acres, is the largest protected area in Southeast Asia.

The park preserves a region that ranges from snowcapped mountains down to tropical marine environment, including extensive lowland wetlands.

The park is located on Irian Jaya, the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea. The altitudes in the park range from sea level to the 16,502-foot Mount Jaya, Indonesia's highest peak and one of three places in the world where glaciers still exist in the tropics.

There are a variety of habitats in Lorentz. The southern section is comprised of extensive areas of mangrove forests and peatswamp, the largest of such areas in the world. The interior is lowland tropical rain forest, lower and higher montaine forests and the Carstenz and Meren Glaciers in the alpine areas.

The park is home to 411 bird species, including bird-of-paradise and parrots. More than 100 mammals call the park home. They include a number of marsupials including the tree-kangaroo and cuscus, as well as a variety of bats.

There are approximately 11,000 local inhabitants who are members of various tribes within the park. The Asmat, Sempan and Nakai tribes of the southern swamps are hunter and gatherers.

The police chief and army headquarters in Jakarta issues permits to visitors who wish to enter the park. Current conditions dictate whether or not permits are issued.

The park has been recognized as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site.