“Sevan National Park” was established in 1978, the area of which with a Lake Sevan is 147.343 ha, without the lake - 22.585 ha. The lake is currently located at an altitude of 1900 m. The area of lake is 1280 km2 (1416km2 before its artificial decrease in 1930s’).
It was established based on the extremely important task to conserve ecosystem and fresh-water resources of Lake Sevan, endemic fish (Sevan trout, Sevan barble, Khrami carp-Varicorhinus capoeta sevangi), vegetation, animal species involving Armenian seagulls and birds.
The birds make another important and rich group of the lake's fauna. Among the birds encountered are the аrmenian gull, ruddy shelduck, common shelduck, red-crested pochard, mallard, common coot, white-tailed eagle, northern lapwing. Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus, P. crispus), common flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), scoter (Melanita fusca), mute and whooping swans (Cygnus olor, C.cygnus) and various species of ducks at the national park territory are registered in the Red Data Book of Armenia.
Among other groups of fauna numerous species of reptiles (lizards – Darevskia unisexualis, D. nairensis, grass-snakes - Natrix natrix, N. tesselata, various species of snakes etc.), amphibians (green toad - Bufo viridis, frogs – Rana ridibunda, R. macrocnemus ect.) and mammals occur in the national park.
Sevan National Park is also rich with historical-cultural monuments: Sevanavank (X century), Hayravank (XII century), Vanevank (X century), a number of khachkars of Noratus and etc.
