Alaniya National Park, National park in North Ossetia-Alania, Russia.
Alaniya National Park covers the southern third of the Irafsky District on the northern slope of the Central Caucasus. Its altitudes run from 800 metres in the Urukh River valley to Mount Uilpata at 4,646 metres. About 80 square kilometres are glacier, rock and scree, roughly 20% of the mid-levels is forest, and the main ridge is granite, gneiss and schist.
Scientists began advocating for nature protection in this region during the 1950s. The park was officially established in 1998 to protect the mountain landscape.
The park's name comes from the Alans, an Iranian-speaking people who held the area from about 100 BCE to 1234 AD; the term "Aryan" is indirectly derived from their name. The earlier Bronze Age Koban culture (about 1100–400 BCE) left archaeological remains in the territory, and the park was created partly to protect this cultural heritage alongside its biodiversity.
The best time to visit is from May to October when trails are snow-free and passable. Access is through a single road that passes through Aksinta Canyon from the city of Vladikavkaz.
The Karaugom Glacier's tongue ends at 1,830 metres, lower than any other glacier in the Caucasus, reaching well into the forested zone. It runs 1.3 km long across 26.6 km², from 3,440 metres down to that terminus. A study recorded an average retreat of 8 metres per year, linked to a 0.05 °C annual rise in Central Caucasus temperatures.
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