As of 2023 and continuing into 2026, the Northeast Greenland National Park remains the largest national park in the world. Spanning an incredible 972,000 square kilometers (375,000 square miles), it covers nearly half of the island of Greenland and is larger than 160 different countries. This park is an Arctic wilderness primarily inhabited by musk oxen, polar bears, and walruses, with no permanent human residents other than researchers and a naval patrol. If you consider "Marine Protected Areas," the Marae Moana in the Cook Islands is often cited as the largest protected area overall, covering 1.9 million square kilometers of ocean. However, for terrestrial parks, Northeast Greenland holds the undisputed crown. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and serves as a critical "living laboratory" for climate change research, though it is incredibly difficult to visit due to its remote location and lack of infrastructure.