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UNESCO World Heritage Sites

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Facts about the World Heritage Convention and its protected sites.

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What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

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1What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
A landmark or area with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance
2When was the World Heritage Convention adopted?
November 16, 1972 (came into force December 17, 1975)
3How many World Heritage Sites exist as of July 2025?
1,248 World Heritage Sites across 170 countries
4What organization administers the World Heritage Programme?
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
5How many countries have ratified the World Heritage Convention?
196 states (as of November 2024)
6Which UN member state has NOT ratified the World Heritage Convention?
Liechtenstein
7What was the first World Heritage Site (Site No. 1)?
The Galápagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America
8Which two cities were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978?
Quito in Ecuador and Kraków in Poland
9What event prompted the creation of the World Heritage Programme?
The 1960 International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia threatened by the Aswan High Dam
10What famous temple complexes were relocated to save them from flooding by the Aswan Dam?
Abu Simbel and Philae
11How much did the Nubia campaign cost?
US$80 million (equivalent to $312.6 million in 2025), about $40 million collected from 50 countries
12Where was the Temple of Dendur moved to?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City
13Where was the Temple of Debod moved to?
Parque del Oeste in Madrid, Spain
14Where was the Temple of Taffeh moved to?
Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, Netherlands
15Where was the Temple of Ellesyia moved to?
Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy
16When did the campaign to save the Monuments of Nubia end?
1980 (and was considered a success)
17What other sites were saved following the Nubia campaign's success?
Venice and its lagoon (Italy), ruins of Mohenjo-daro (Pakistan), and Borobodur Temple Compounds (Indonesia)
18When was the White House conference that called for a 'World Heritage Trust'?
1965
19What organization developed proposals for protecting natural sites in 1968?
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
20How many criteria must a site meet to be included on the World Heritage List?
At least one of the ten criteria
21How many cultural heritage criteria existed before 2004?
Six sets of criteria (and four for natural heritage)
22In what year did UNESCO modify the criteria to one set of ten?
2005
23What is the first cultural heritage criterion?
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
24What is an example of a cultural heritage site?
Taj Mahal in India (Site No. 252)
25What is an example of a natural heritage site?
Serengeti National Park in Tanzania (Site No. 156)
26What is an example of a mixed (natural and cultural) heritage site?
Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu in Peru (Site No. 274)
27What must a country first create before nominating sites?
A Tentative List of its significant cultural and natural sites
28Which international body evaluates cultural heritage nominations?
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
29Which international body evaluates natural heritage nominations?
World Conservation Union (IUCN)
30How many states parties compose the World Heritage Committee?
21 states parties