Tuesday, January 22, 2008

World Heritage Sites

After writing that last post, I reminded myself to look into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Being a guy, I like to collect things, and I think a good one would be "World Heritage Sites I've Been To". Anyways, here's a little history of these sites.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been selected by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is composed of 21 countries. The program aims to catalogue, name, and conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance. As of 2007, a total of 851 sites are listed: 660 cultural, 166 natural, and 25 mixed properties.

I got this info from the glorious Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_site
and the actual UNESCO website http://whc.unesco.org/en/
So here's my collection so far.

Africa:
Zambia: Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls

Americas:
United States:
Carlsbad Caverns National Park - New Mexico
Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona
Independence Hall - Pennsylvania
Wrangell-St. Elias Park - Alaska
Mammoth Cave - Kentucky
Redwood National and State Parks - California
Statue of Liberty - New York
Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming
Yosemite National Park - California

Asia and Australasia:
Cambodia: Angkor (going there next month)
China: Historic Centre of Macau
India:
Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
Qutub Minar and its monuments, Delhi
Red Fort, New Delhi
Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh
South Korea:
Changdeokgung Palace Complex
Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon
Nepal: Kathmandu Valley
Thailand: Dong Phaya Yen – Khao Yai Forest Complex (next month)

Europe:
United Kingdom:
Palace of Westminster
Tower of London
Westminster Abbey
Westminster School

I missed the several sites in Haiti, Canada, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica. Oh well. You should check the list out, because you might have one next door to you, like this one I just found. Jongmyo Shrine

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I think I found one next door. Daytona 500 Speedway. I don't see it on the list, but I'm pretty sure it must be pending. It is the pinacle and crowning achievement of Old South technology, manifested in our modern day. Driving in a circle at 200 mph. What else would make a man stand in such awe, few things I can think of. Except that huge pizza in your other blog :)