is Tara National Park.
The territory of Tara, cover- ing an area of 24,991.82 hectares, gained the status of a national park on 13 th July 1981. Located in the far west of Serbia, it encompasses the area bordered by the course of the river Drina between the towns of Višegrad and Bajina Bašta. When it comes to elevation, Tara is clas- sified as a medium-high mountain, with an average altitude of 1,000 to 1,200 metres above sea level, while its highest peak is Zborište (at 1,544 m). A typical forested area, in terms of the preservation and diversity of forest ecosystems it ranks among Europe’s richest and most valuable areas of forestland. Tara is domi- nated by mixed forests of spruce, fir and beech (over 85% of forested areas), and what renders it specific compared to other mountains of the Balkan Peninsula is the large num- ber of endemic forest species and communities that call Tara home. Here special value and importance are attached to the Pančić spruce (Picea omorika), an endemic and relict species that managed to sur- vive the last ice age thanks to the shelter provided by the gorges and deep ravines of the middle course of the Drina. According to the results of re- search conducted to date, the ter- ritory of Tara is home to 59 species of mammals, about 140 species of birds, 12 species of amphibians, 12 species of reptiles and 19 species of fish. Serbia’s largest population of brown bears also lives here, while the most famous local species, which could be said to be a symbol of Tara’s invertebrates, is the Pančić grass- hopper (Pyrgomorphulla serbica). The area of the park boasts nu- merous archaeological sites and cul- tural monuments that date from the Neolithic period to modern times. The most important monument is Rača Monastery, an endowment of King Dragutin that dates back to the 13 th century and was one of the most important centres of medie- val Serbian literacy.
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