NWR

Geography & Places abbreviation · Geographic Feature

NWR
Stands forNational Wildlife Refuge
CategoriesGeography & Places

NWR stands for National Wildlife Refuge, a geographic feature abbreviation.

Protected area in the US system managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service for wildlife habitat, begun in 1903 when Theodore Roosevelt protected Pelican Island, Florida.

Example: Birders flock to Bosque del Apache NWR each November for the sandhill cranes.

Usage notes

The system now includes more than 570 refuges, and many allow hunting and fishing. The Arctic NWR in Alaska is the largest refuge and the subject of a long debate over oil drilling.

More geographic feature abbreviations

  • NHP – National Historical Park
  • NHS – National Historic Site
  • NM – National Monument
  • NP – National Park
  • NRA – National Recreation Area
  • NS – National Seashore
  • Pen. – Peninsula
  • Pk. – Peak
  • Prov. – Province
  • Pt. – Point
  • R. – River
  • Res. – Reservation

See all 46 geographic feature abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.