The most famous protected area and the oldest national park in Croatia is the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Velebit Nature Park is a part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme.
The strict and special reserves, as well as the national and nature parks, are managed and protected by the central government, while other protected areas are managed by counties.
Each of the national parks is maintained by a separate institution, overseen and funded by the government ministry of nature conservation and spatial development.
The State Institute for Nature Protection provides centralized oversight and expertise.