Countries with the Largest Number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites - best, most, greatest of everything ranked User Contributed Rankings - ShareRanks.com Countries with the Largest Number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites 21 items ranked Everything that we have today came from our past. Our cultures and heritages are the source of our identity. Regardless of who we are or where we are from, we each have our own unique identity to share with others. Below is a list of countries that have the largest number of UNESCO World heritage sites to share with the entire world. Rated 0 points - posted 7 years ago by josephling67 in category World . Click on up and down arrows to affect item's ranking Add item 30 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 2. China Although an empire that started with the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang in 221 BC, China’s rich history dated back over 500.000 years ago to the time of the Peking Man.

Even though she is not listed as the top ranking country with World heritage sites, with the number of sites that are on the “Tentative list”, she could easily surpass every country in the world with her rich cultural heritages. Some of her legacies are: • Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian • Mausoleum of the First Qin Emporer • Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang • The Great Wall • Temple and Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu • Historic Monuments of Macao 30 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 3.

France Decorated Grottoes of the Vézère Valley Vézelay, Church and Hill Palace and Park of Versailles Chartres Cathedral Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange Amiens Cathedral Palace and Park of Fontainebleau From the Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains to the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the production of open-pan salt Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière, and Place d'Alliance in Nancy Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) Strasbourg-Grande îsle Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and Palace of Tau, Reims Paris, Banks of the Seine 9 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 4. Spain The Spanish were also a power to be reckoned with during the middle ages.

Thus, she possesses some of richest cultural sites that can be seen in the world. • Tower of Hercules • Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, Granada • Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid • Burgos Cathedral • Works of Antoni Gaudí • Historic Centre of Cordoba • Historic City of Toledo 9 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 5. Italy Currently at the top of list is this country. Not surprising as this country represented the centre of the Roman Empire as well as the centre of Christendom. Some of the heritage sites in this country are: • Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura • Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci • Historic Centre of Florence • Piazza Del Duomo, Pisa • Venice and its Lagoon • Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata 9 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 6.

Turkey Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, Great Mosque and Hospital of Divrigi, Hattusha: the Hittite Capital, Nemrut Mountain, Hierapolis–Pamukkale, Xanthos Letoon, City of Safranbolu, Archaeological Site of Troy, Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex, Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük, Historic Areas of Istanbul... 8 points - added 3 years ago by guest - 7. 8 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 8. 8 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 9. 7 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 10. 6 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 11. 4 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 12. 3 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 13. 1 point - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 14.

0 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 15. 0 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 16. 0 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 17. -1 point - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 18. Germany Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier Frontiers of the Roman Empire Hanseatic City of Lübeck Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch -1 point - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 19. -2 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 20. -2 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - 21. -7 points - added 7 years ago by josephling67 - Add item Unesco Heritage Sites - Città d'Arte Emilia Romagna Ita Unesco Heritage Sites Italy is the country that has the largest number of sites (over 49) included in the UNESCO world heritage sites' list.

In Emilia Romagna there are 3 cities that preserve sites declared World Heritage Sites: Ferrara, Ravenna and Modena. But there are also other types of UNESCO recognition in the region: messenger of peace, memory of the world, creative cities.

Pills Unesco's recognition Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad, Ancient City of Bosra, Asante Traditional Buildings, Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol, Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci, City of Valletta, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo, Garamba National Park, Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura, Historic Centre of Warsaw, Historic Town of Ouro Preto, Ichkeul National Park, Lower Valley of the Awash, Lower Valley of the Omo, Maya Site of Copan, Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair, Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores, City of Cuzco, Convent of Christ in Tomar, Ellora Caves, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve, Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Jes

uit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil), La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico, Monastery of Batalha, Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon, Old City of Berne, Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity, Historic Town of Zabid, Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangue, Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site, Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments, Maulbronn Monastery Complex, Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi, Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco, Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain , Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, Shirakami-Sanchi, The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera, Town of Bamberg, Villages with Fortified Churches in Trans

ylvania, Vlkolínec, Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino, Yakushima Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains, Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte), Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye, City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications, City of Safranbolu, City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto, Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg, Doñana National Park, Earliest 16th-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, Ha Long Bay, Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa, Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church, Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa, Los Katíos National Park, Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde, Petäjävesi Old Church,

 Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora, Rock Carvings in Tanum, Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst, Crespi d'Adda, Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta, Gough and Inaccessible Islands, Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks, Hanseatic Town of Visby, Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge, Historic Centre of Naples, Historic Centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox, Historic Centre of Siena, Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento, Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, Jongmyo Shrine, Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, Messel Pit Fossil Site, National Archeological Park of Tierradentro, Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, Old Town Lunenburg, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Roskilde Cathedral, Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tich

itt and Oualata, Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina), Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau, Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, Canal du Midi, Church Town of Gammelstad, Luleå , Cologne Cathedral, Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna, Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome), Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar , Historic Centre of the City of Pienza, Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg, Historic City of Meknes, Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro, Historic Walled Town of Cuenca, Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia, Lake Baikal, Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž, Golden Mountains of Altai, Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan, Historic Site of Lyon, Ir.D.F.

Woudagemaal (D.F.

Wouda Steam Pumping Station), L'viv – the Ensemble of the Historic Centre, La Grand-Place, Brussels, Naval Port of Karlskrona, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands, Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab), Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde, Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula, Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France, Semmering Railway, Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing, Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing, The Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre and their Environs, La Louvière and Le Roeulx (Hainaut), University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares 1999 Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco, Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Belfries of Belgium and France, Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki, City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eg

genberg, Cueva de las Manos, Río Pinturas, Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains, Dazu Rock Carvings, Desembarco del Granma National Park, Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves, Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder), Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa, Heart of Neolithic Orkney, Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca, Historic Centre of Sighişoara, Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina, Historic City of Vigan, Historic Fortified Town of Campeche, Hoi An Ancient Town, Hortobágy National Park - the Puszta, Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture, Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh, Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba, Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection, Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, Historic Centre of Macao, Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra , Historical Centre of the City of Yaroslavl, Humberstone and Santa Laura

 Saltpeter Works, Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev, Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California, Kunya-Urgench, Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret, Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun, Shiretoko, Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site, Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, Central Highlands of Sri Lanka, Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi, China Danxia, Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”, Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong, Papahānaumokuākea, Pitons, cirques and remparts of Reunion Island, Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca, Proto-urban Site of Sarazm, São Francisco Square in the Town of São Cristóvão, Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht, Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in

 Ardabil, Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria, Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe, Citadel of the Ho Dynasty, Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana, Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas), Fagus Factory in Alfeld, Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land, Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley, Konso Cultural Landscape, Longobards in Italy.

Places of the Power (568-774 A.D.), Ningaloo Coast, Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai, Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps, Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans, Saloum Delta, Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex, The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape, The Persian Garden, West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou 2012 Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex, Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire, Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey, Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves, Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche, Erbil Citadel, Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah, Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point, Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Namhansanseong, Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines

 – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir, Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape, Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís, Pyu Ancient Cities, Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System, Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat, Shahr-i Sokhta, Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor, Stevns Klint, Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites, Trang An Landscape Complex, Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato 2015 Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System, Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale, Baekje Historic Areas, Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas), Blue and John Crow Mountains , Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars, Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement, Cultural Landscape of Maymand, Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape, Ephesus, Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape, Necropolis of Bet

 She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal, Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site, Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia, San Antonio Missions, Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining, Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus, Susa, The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy, The Forth Bridge, The par force hunting landscape in North Zealand, Tusi Sites Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (196), Royal Palaces of Abomey (323) Abu Mena (90), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bam and its Cultural Landscape (1208), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), Comoé National Park (227), Coro and its Port (658), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (171), Galápagos Islands (1), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Humber

stone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (722), Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (144), Salonga National Park (280), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bam and its Cultural Landscape (1208), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), Comoé National Park (227), Coro and its Port (658), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (171), Galápagos Islands (1), Historic

 Town of Zabid (611), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (722), Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (144), Salonga National Park (280), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708), Los Katíos National Park (711) -2 Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower (958) Abu Mena (90), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bam and

 its Cultural Landscape (1208), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), Comoé National Park (227), Coro and its Port (658), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (171), Galápagos Islands (1), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Los Katíos National Park (711), Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (338), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (722), Ruins of Kilwa Kisiw

ani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (144), Salonga National Park (280), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (710), Bam and its Cultural Landscape (1208), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), Comoé National Park (227), Coro and its Port (658), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), Everglades National Park (76), Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (171), Garamba National Park (136), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Los Katíos National Park (711), Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (338), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval

 Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Rainforests of the Atsinanana (1257), Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (722), Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (144), Salonga National Park (280), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (710), Bam and its Cultural Landscape (1208), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), Comoé National Park (227), Coro and its Port (658), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), Everglades National Park (76), Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (171), Garamba National

 Park (136), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Los Katíos National Park (711), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Rainforests of the Atsinanana (1257), Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (722), Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (196), Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (144), Salonga National Park (280), Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (171), Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (722) Abu Mena (90), Air and Ténéré

 Natural Reserves (573), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (710), Bam and its Cultural Landscape (1208), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (1433), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), Comoé National Park (227), Coro and its Port (658), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), Everglades National Park (76), Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (135), Garamba National Park (136), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (1150), Los Katíos National Park (711), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National

 Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Rainforests of the Atsinanana (1257), Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (196), Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (144), Salonga National Park (280), Bam and its Cultural Landscape (1208) Abu Mena (90), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ancient City of Aleppo (21), Ancient City of Bosra (22), Ancient City of Damascus (20), Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (1348), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (710), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (1433

), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), Comoé National Park (227), Coro and its Port (658), Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (1229), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), East Rennell (854), Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (135), Garamba National Park (136), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (1150), Los Katíos National Park (711), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (1

48), Rainforests of the Atsinanana (1257), Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (196), Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (144), Salonga National Park (280), Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (1492), Selous Game Reserve (199) Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (144) Abu Mena (90), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ancient City of Aleppo (21), Ancient City of Bosra (22), Ancient City of Damascus (20), Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (1348), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (710), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (1433), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), City of Potosí (4

20), Coro and its Port (658), Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (1229), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), East Rennell (854), Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (135), Garamba National Park (136), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (1150), Los Katíos National Park (711), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern

 Jerusalem, Battir (1492), Rainforests of the Atsinanana (1257), Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (196), Salonga National Park (280), Old City of Sana'a (385), Old Walled City of Shibam (192) -1 Los Katíos National Park (711) Abu Mena (90), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ancient City of Aleppo (21), Ancient City of Bosra (22), Ancient City of Damascus (20), Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (1348), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (1130), Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (710), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (1433), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), City of Potosí (420), Coro and its Port (658), Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (1229),

 Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), East Rennell (854), Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (135), Garamba National Park (136), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (1150), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Old City of Sana'a (385), Old Walled City of Shibam (192), Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (1492), Rainforests of the Atsinanana (12

57), Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (196), Salonga National Park (280), Archaeological Site of Cyrene (190), Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (183), Archaeological Site of Sabratha (184), Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (885), Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (1503), Old Town of Ghadamès (362), Old Towns of Djenné (116), Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (287) -1 Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (708) Abu Mena (90), Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (573), Ancient City of Aleppo (21), Ancient City of Bosra (22), Ancient City of Damascus (20), Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (1348), Archaeological Site of Cyrene (190), Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (183), Archaeological Site of Sabratha (184), Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (113

0), Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (710), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (764), Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (1433), Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (366), City of Potosí (420), Coro and its Port (658), Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (1229), Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (208), East Rennell (854), Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (135), Garamba National Park (136), Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (885), Historic Town of Zabid (611), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (1178), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (137), Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (1150), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (475), Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (724), Minaret and Archaeological Remains

 of Jam (211), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (155), Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (1503), Niokolo-Koba National Park (153), Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (148), Old City of Sana'a (385), Old Town of Ghadamès (362), Old Towns of Djenné (116), Old Walled City of Shibam (192), Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (1492), Rainforests of the Atsinanana (1257), Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (196), Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (287), Salonga National Park (280), Top 20 Countries having most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites Top 20 Countries having most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites Jun 29, 2016 Places Share There are total of 1031 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world (as of June 2016 – 802 Cultural, 19

7 Natural and 32 Mixed).

Here are the top 20 countries having most number of UNESCO World Heritage sites. What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site? According to the wikipedia, “A World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance.” 20. Poland Total: 14 Natural: 1, Cultural: 13 The Historic Center of Warsaw (Warsaw Old Town) is the oldest part of the capital city of Poland. It is bounded by the Wybrzeże Gdańskie, along with the bank of Vistula river, Grodzka, Mostowa and Podwale Streets. It is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Warsaw. The heart of the area is the Old Town Market Place, rich in restaurants, cafés and shops. Surrounding streets feature medieval architecture such as the city walls, the Barbican and St. John’s Cathedral.

Photo: wikipedia Historic Centre of Kraków (Cultural) Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (Cultural) Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945) (Cultural) Białowieża Forest (Natural) Historic Centre of Warsaw (Cultural) Old City of Zamość (Cultural) Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork (Cultural) Medieval Town of Toruń (Cultural) Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park (Cultural) Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica (Cultural) Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska (Cultural) Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski (Cultural) Centennial Hall in Wrocław (Cultural) Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine (Cultural) The 19th and 18th countries, Portugal and Sweden both have 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are listed in alphabetical order. 19.

Portugal Alto Douro Wine Region (Cultural) Historic Centre of Guimarães (Cultural) Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture (Cultural) Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications (Cultural) University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia (Cultural) 18. Sweden Total: 15 Natural: 1, Cultural: 13, Mixed: 1 The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. Built on the island Lovön (in Ekerö Municipality of Stockholm County), it is one of Sweden’s Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century. It served as a regular summer residence of the Swedish royal court for most of the 18th century. Apart from being the private residence of the Swedish royal family, the palace is a popular tourist attraction. Photo: wikipedia Royal Domain of Drottningholm (Cultural) Birka and Hovgården (Cultural) Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland (Cultural) 17.

Turkey Total: 16 Cultural: 14, Mixed: 2 Ephesus (Greek: Ἔφεσος Ephesos; Turkish: Efes; ultimately from Hittite Apasa) was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, three kilometres southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of the former Arzawan capital by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era it was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. The city flourished after it came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC. According to estimates, Ephesus had a population of 33,600 to 56,000 people in the Roman period, making it the third largest city of Roman Asia Minor after Sardis and Alexandria Troas. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Photo (The Library of Celsus in Ephesus): wikipedia Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia (Mixed – Both Natural and Cultural) Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği (Cultural) Historic Areas of Istanbul (Cultural) Hattusha: the Hittite Capital (Cultural) Nemrut Dağ (Cultural) Archaeological Site of Troy (Cultural) Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex (Cultural) Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük (Cultural) Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire (Cultural) Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape (Cultural) Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape (Cultural) Ephesus (Cultural) Archaeological Site of Ani (Cultural) The 16th and 15th countries, Canada and Greece both have 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are listed in alphabetical order. 16. Canada Total: 18 Natural: 10, Cultural: 8 Virginia Falls is a waterfall in Nahanni National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories, Canada.

It is located on the South Nahanni River, at an elevation of 500 m (1,600 ft). It is located 120 kilometers (76 miles) from the Yukon border. It has a total drop of 96 m (315 ft), making it almost twice the height of Niagara Falls (51 m). It consists of a single drop with an average width of 259 m (850 ft). Photo: liardtours.com L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (Cultural) Nahanni National Park (Natural) Total: 18 Cultural: 16, Mixed: 2 The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a extremely rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon (a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron). The word acropolis comes from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, “highest point, extremity”) and πόλις (polis, “city”).

Although there are many other acropoles in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as “The Acropolis” without qualification. Photo: wikipedia Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae (Cultural) Acropolis, Athens (Cultural) Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios (Cultural) Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos (Cultural) Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina) (Cultural) Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns (Cultural) The Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos (Cultural) Old Town of Corfu (Cultural) Archaeological Site of Philippi (Cultural) 14.

Australia Total: 19 Natural: 12, Cultural: 3, Mixed: 4 The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometers (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 sq mi). Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals. Coral reefs are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labelled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.

Photo: haikudeck.com Great Barrier Reef (Natural) Australian Convict Sites (Cultural) Ningaloo Coast (Natural) The 13th and 12th, Brazil and Japan both have 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are listed in alphabetical order. 13. Brazil Total: 20 Natural: 7, Cultural: 13 Ouro Preto (English: Black Gold) is a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains and designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its outstanding Baroque architecture.

Photo: freewords.com.br Historic Town of Ouro Preto (Cultural) Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda (Cultural) Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil) (Cultural) Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia (Cultural) Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas (Cultural) Iguaçu National Park (Natural) Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration (Cultural) Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites (Cultural) Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining (Cultural) The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (Cultural) 11. Iran (Islamic Republic of) Total: 21 Natural: 1, Cultural: 20 Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC). It is situated 60 km northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province, Iran.

The earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. It exemplifies the Achaemenid style of architecture. UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979. Photo: searchmap.eu Meidan Emam, Esfahan (Cultural) 10. United States of America Total: 23 Natural: 12, Cultural: 10, Mixed: 1 Yosemite National Park covers an area of 747,956 acres (1,168.681 sq mi; 302,687 ha; 3,026.87 km2) and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. About 3.8 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend the majority of their time in the seven square miles (18 km2) of Yosemite Valley. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, beautiful lakes, spectacular mountains, glaciers, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness.

Photo: wikipedia Mesa Verde National Park (Cultural) Yellowstone National Park (Natural) Total: 26 Natural: 10, Cultural: 16 Saint Isaac’s Cathedral or Isaakievskiy Sobor in Saint Petersburg, Russia is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral (sobor) in the city. It is the largest orthodox basilica and the fourth largest (by the volume under the cupola) cathedral in the world. It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great, who had been born on the feast day of that saint. The cathedral’s main dome rises 101.5 meters (333 ft) and is plated with pure gold. Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments (Cultural) Kizhi Pogost (Cultural) Lena Pillars Nature Park (Natural) Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex (Cultural) 8.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Total: 30 Natural: 4, Cultural: 25, Mixed: 1 Built in the 11th century, Durham Castle (seen here in front of Durham Cathedral) is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been wholly occupied since 1840 by University College, Durham. It is open to the general public to visit, but only through guided tours, since it is in use as a working building and is home to over 100 students. The castle stands on top of a hill above the River Wear on Durham’s peninsula, opposite Durham Cathedral.

Photo: wikipedia Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd (Cultural) Durham Castle and Cathedral (Cultural) Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast (Natural) Ironbridge Gorge (Cultural) Hill Forts of Rajasthan (Cultural) Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (Natural) Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (Cultural) Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda, Bihar (Cultural) Khangchendzonga National Park (Mixed – Both Natural and Cultural) The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (Cultural) The 5th and 4th countries, France and Germany both have 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are listed in alphabetical order. 5. France Total: 42 Natural: 3, Cultural: 38, Mixed: 1 The Amiens cathedral is the tallest complete cathedral in France, its stone-vaulted nave reaching an internal height of 42.30 meters (138.8 ft) (surpassed only by the incomplete Beauvais Cathedral).

It also has the greatest interior volume of any French cathedral, estimated at 200,000 cubic meters (260,000 cu yd). The cathedral was built between 1220 and c.1270 and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Although it has lost most of its original stained glass, Amiens Cathedral is renowned for the quality and quantity of early 13th-century Gothic sculpture in the main west façade and the south transept portal, and a large quantity of polychrome sculpture from later periods inside the building.

Photo: wikipedia Chartres Cathedral (Cultural) Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems (Natural) Episcopal City of Albi (Cultural) Pitons, cirques and remparts of Reunion Island (Natural) Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps (Cultural) The Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape (Cultural) Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin (Cultural) Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche (Cultural) Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars (Cultural) Climats, terroirs of Burgundy (Cultural) The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (Cultural) 4. Germany Total: 42 Natural: 3, Cultural: 39 Cologne Cathedral (English: High Cathedral of Saint Peter) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne.

It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. It is Germany’s most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day, currently the tallest twin spired church at 157 m (515 ft) tall. Photo: wikipedia Aachen Cathedral (Cultural) Total: 50 Natural: 11, Cultural: 35, Mixed: 4 The Great Wall stretches from Dandong in the east, to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. A comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 km (5,500 mi). This is made up of 6,259 km (3,889 mi) sections of actual wall, 359 km (223 mi) of trenches and 2,232 km (1,387 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

Another archaeological survey found that the entire wall with all of its branches measure out to be 21,196 km (13,171 mi). Photo: wikipedia Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (Cultural) Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Cultural) Mogao Caves (Cultural) Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape (Cultural) 1. Italy Total: 51 Natural: 4, Cultural: 47 The Grand Canal (Italian: Canal grande) is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses (Italian: vaporetti) and private water taxis, and many tourists explore the canal by gondola. One end of the canal leads into the lagoon near the Santa Lucia railway station and the other end leads into Saint Mark Basin; in between, it makes a large reverse-S shape through the central districts (sestieri) of Venice. It is 3.8 km long, and 30 to 90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters (16.5 ft).

Rock Drawings in Valcamonica (Cultural) Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci (Cultural) Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura (Cultural) Historic Centre of Florence (Cultural) Piazza del Duomo, Pisa (Cultural) Venice and its Lagoon (Cultural) Historic Centre of San Gimignano (Cultural) The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera (Cultural) City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto (Cultural) Crespi d’Adda (Cultural) Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato (Cultural) Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale (Cultural) UNESCO World Heritage Sites Selection criteria Nominated sites must be of “outstanding universal value” and meet at least one of the ten criteria: Cultural Represents a masterpiece of human creative genius and cultural significance Exhibits an important interchange of human values, over a span of time, or

 within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning, or landscape design To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.

Is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural, or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history. Is an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture, or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. Is directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. Natural Contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. Is an outstanding example representing major stages of Earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. Is an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems, and communities of plants and animals. Contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. Sources UNESCO World Heritage Sites - worldfactsinc worldfactsinc UNESCO is the United Nations' educational, scientific and cultural organisation.

UNESCO was formed in November 1945, in London, England, with a founding membership of thirty seven countries. The aim of UNESCO, by way of it's World Heritage Programme, is to award prizes to the world's most outstanding cultural or natural sites, as they consider them of interest to the international community and wish to preserve them. The organisation's first heritage list contained twelve sites and was compiled in 1978. UNESCO's head office is situated in Paris, France and the organisation has another fifty six field offices situated across the world. As of 2011, the organisation consists of one hundred and ninety five member states and eight associate members, who are represented by twenty two state parties, which award prizes in twenty two different categories every year. There are currently one thousand and seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in one hundred and sixty one countries around the world, seven hundred and eighty of which are cultural venues, one hundred and ninety seven are natural sites and thirty are mixed sites. Nominated sites must be of outstanding universal interest and meet the criteria of at least one of the organisation's ten selection criteria, which are divided into six categories for cultural sites and four categories for natural sites.

Each nominated site is evaluated by the International Council of Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union. The organisation divides the world into five geographical zones, although some sites are listed as belonging to one geographical zone, when in fact they are actually situated in another part of the world. This is because the country which nominates the site is awarded the prize, rather than the location it is in, such as the U.K is awarded the Gough Island and Henderson Island sites, although both islands are actually located in the south Atlantic. Over the years the organisation has chosen a myriad of areas of outstanding natural beauty, ancient monuments, architectural masterpieces, national parks, coastlines, eco-systems, prehistoric rocks, archaelogical sites and even the country of the Vatican City State, as well as some unusual sites such as the Budapest Metro system in Hungary, the hydraulic boat lifts on Belgium's Canal du Centre at Louvire, Canada's Rideau Canal in Ottawa, several railway networks and two ancient road networks. The country with the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites is Italy with fifty.

Below is a list of the organisations five zones, with number of sites, a list of the very first UNESCO World Heritage list compiled in 1978, followed by a list of the countries with the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites. UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Travel ideas Travel ideas Ai Weiwei at Palazzo Strozzi Florence hosts one of the giants of contemporary art Video Naples - Cinema: what scenes, fella! The city of Naples was the protagonist of many movies attempting to describe and reproduce the vitality and incomparable passion of its inhabitants.... Read more Tropea, Capo Vaticano Tropea, in the Province of Vibo Valentia, is one of the most beautiful places on the Calabrian coast. This little gem's roots go all the way back to...

You are in Home / Travel ideas / UNESCO World Heritage Sites UNESCO World Heritage Sites Castel del Monte - Panoramic View Castel del Monte - Detail Alberobello - The Trulli of Aia Piccola Alberobello - Panoramic View Torre Annunziata (Oplontis) - Peristyl Room Pompeii - Temple of Apollo Ferrara - Palazzo Diamanti | Photo by Andrea Baraldi - Province of Ferrara Photo Archive Ferrara - Cathedral of San Giorgio - Source: Province of Ferrara Photographic Archive Venice - Canal Grande | Photo by Silvia Adalia Venice - Bridge of Sighs | Photo by Silvia Adalia Venice - Domes, St. Mark's Basilica Rome - The Colosseum at Night | Photo by Silvia Adalia Italy counts 51 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within its borders, the most of any country on the World Heritage List. The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by the UNESCO General Conference on November 16, 1972, states that the organization is the official designator of these sites.

The goal of the Convention is to identify, according to precise criteria, areas, zones and places containing unique characteristics, of particular importance in regards to culture, archaeology, environment or landscape. Italy’s World Heritage Sites are well-known. The Dolomites; The City of Verona; Ferrara and the Po River Delta ; the Historic Centers of San Gimignano, Florence and Rome ; Hadrian's Villa and the Villa D’Este at Tivoli; the archaeological area of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata ; the Sassi (rupestrian architecture and churches) of Matera; the Amalfi Coast and the Aeolian Islands are just some among many others. All 51 sites have been, at one time or another, travel destinations for those seeking out history, art and culture in the Bel Paese. Renewed efforts by the Institutes to preserve these sites include the call to everyone to get to know them better. Here, you can begin a virtual journey into some of the most fascinating among them, those that evoke an experience rich in life, passions, and dreams.

Which Country has the Most UNESCO World Heritage Sites Which Country has the Most UNESCO World Heritage Sites 04 Oct, 2011 facts 0 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a location that is selected by a special committee for its cultural or natural significance. The committee was established in 1972 and nominated sites must meet a specific set of criteria. There are over 930 World Heritage Sites on Earth and the majority of these (about 720) are sites of cultural significance. The idea behind the World Heritage Sites is to protect these important locations for generations to come. A site can also receive funding from the organization to help with preserving and protecting the area. A site can lose its status if it is not managed or protected properly, such as a natural site being damaged by logging. As of 2011 there have only been two sites removed from the list. Let’s take a look at the country with the most World Heritage Sites. The country with the most World Heritage Sites Italy is the country with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites. As of November 2011, the country has a total of 47 sites. 3 of these sites are shared with other countries.

The first site in Italy was the Rock Drawings in Valcamonica that were listed in 1979 and they were the 94th site listed by UNESCO. They are one of the largest collections of ancient rock drawings in the world. The country with the second most number of World Heritage sites is Spain (43) and the third most is China (41). They are the only other countries with over 40 World Heritage Sites. Related Articles

Question: Which country has the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites?
Answer: Italy