UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Please select a country to browse it's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Our database has 788 world heritage sites.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity . This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage , adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
Cultural heritage refers to monuments, groups of buildings and properties with historical, aesthetic, archaeological, scientific, ethnological or anthropological value.
Natural heritage refers to outstanding physical, biological and geological formations, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants and areas with scientific, conservation or aesthetic value.
UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to:
- Encourage countries to sign the 1972 Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
- Encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate properties within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
- Encourage States Parties to set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties;
- Help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training;
- Provide emergency assistance for World Heritage properties in immediate danger;
- Support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation;
- Encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage;
- Encourage international co-operation in conservation of cultural and natural heritage.