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UNESCO World Heritage Sites
World Heritage Sites are locations deemed to be of
cultural or historical benefit for humanity by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO). By including sites on its World Heritage
list, UNESCO hopes to ensure their continued preservation.
The criteria for inclusion in the list cover a range of
possible categories:
• Many World Heritage Sites are locations that have played
a major role in the world’s cultures or civilizations. Some
of them may in fact be the last remnants of a people who
have since disappeared.
• UNESCO also celebrates sites that represent key periods
in human history, such as innovations in town planning
or technological breakthroughs.
• Places may be included as examples of individual genius.
This may be a building of prime architectural importance
or a location connected with the creation of a major work
of art.
• Not all sites are man-made, however. They could be an
area of outstanding natural beauty, or geological
significance, for example, as the site of a fossil discovery.
• One further objective is to celebrate biodiversity. A site
may play a vital role in the development of an existing
ecosystem. Those which provide habitats for endangered
species are particularly strong candidates for inclusion in
the UNESCO list.