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'''The protected area ''Tsingy de Bemaraha'' in the west of Madagascar consists of a national park and integral strict nature reserve. The site is unique in its biodiversity and exceptional landscape with its ''Tsingy'' - which can be translated into "where one can only walk on tiptoe". Bemaraha was the first site in Madagascar to be classified UNESCO World Heritage in 1990, and it also became National Cultural Heritage in 1991. Part of the reserve was changed to a national park status in 1997.'''
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Bemaraha National Park is located in the Melaky region in the central west Madagascar, about 300km from [[Antananarivo]] as the crow flies. The park stretches over an area of 157,710ha, with a length of 100km from north to south and a width of 10 to 40km from east to west. The southern part with an area of 72,340ha enjoys the status of a national park. The northern part, which is managed as an integral natural strict nature reserve, covers 85,370ha of land.
The protected area is located on the Bemaraha plateau at an altitude of 150 to 170m, a karst formation bounded to the east by steep cliffs and to the west by gentle slopes. South of the park, there is a formation of pinnacles which access is extremely difficult. In the north rolling hills alternate with limestone formations.
'''By plane'''<br>
* Regular flights operated by [[Air Madagascar]] and [[Madagasikara Airways]] between Antananarivo and Morondava.
== Management and Classification ==
In 1927, thanks to the biological, geological and archaeological characteristics of the Antsingy, the area was classified as Nature Reserve No. 9. Thereafter it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990 and National Cultural Heritage in 1991. In August 1997, a part of the reserve was changed to national park status to allow the development of ecotourism.
Referring to the international classification of the protected area, following the categorisation by the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the protected complex of Tsingy de Bemaraha belongs to Category I and II. In other words, it is classified as:
* a terrestrial space comprising ecosystems, with remarkable or representative geological or physiological characteristics, managed mainly for the purpose of scientific research and/or environmental monitoring as a Strict Nature Reserve (Category I)
