reserve / reservation
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reserve
A protected area intended for the preservation of wild animals, plants, or nature in general (nature reserve).
In diesem riesigen Reservat in Afrika kann man Elefanten in freier Wildbahn beobachten.
In this huge reserve in Africa, you can observe elephants in the wild.
reservation
An area assigned to an Indigenous population group as a living space.
Viele Ureinwohner Nordamerikas leben heute in Reservaten mit eigener Verwaltung.
Many Indigenous people of North America today live on reservations with their own administration.
The word is derived from the Latin verb 'reservare', which means 'to keep' or 'to reserve.' This explains both meanings: an area kept for nature, or an area reserved for people.
Die Regierung hat beschlossen, das Gebiet als Reservat auszuweisen.
The government has decided to designate the area as a reserve.
To describe a location, you use 'in einem Reservat' (in a reserve/reservation) with the dative. To express movement to that place, you use 'in ein Reservat' (into a reserve/reservation) with the accusative.
Die Vögel überwintern in einem geschützten Reservat im Süden.
The birds spend the winter in a protected reserve in the south.
The context makes clear which meaning is intended. Words like 'Natur' (nature), 'Tiere' (animals), or 'Vögel' (birds) point to a nature reserve. Terms like 'Indianer-' (Indian/Native American), 'indigen' (Indigenous), or geographical information like 'in Nordamerika' (in North America) refer to an area for Indigenous people.
Das große Naturreservat schützt seltene Pflanzenarten.
The large nature reserve protects rare plant species.
For the meaning 'Naturschutzgebiet' (nature reserve), compounds such as 'Naturreservat' (nature reserve), 'Tierschutzreservat' (animal sanctuary/reserve), or 'Vogelschutzreservat' (bird sanctuary) are very common.
Dieses Vogelschutzreservat ist ein wichtiger Brutplatz für viele Arten.
This bird sanctuary is an important breeding ground for many species.
nature reserve
Both words refer to a protected area intended to preserve nature. Naturschutzgebiet is the usual general term for a legally protected natural area, while Reservat places greater emphasis on protecting particular animals, plants, or nature as a whole. In most cases, use Naturschutzgebiet when the official type of protected area is meant.
Das Gebiet ist ein Reservat für seltene Vögel und schützt ihren Lebensraum.
The area is a reserve for rare birds and protects their habitat.
Das Gebiet wurde als Naturschutzgebiet ausgewiesen, damit seine Tier- und Pflanzenwelt erhalten bleibt.
The area was designated a nature reserve so that its animal and plant life could be preserved.
