Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A gift from the people of France honoring the 100th anniversary of American independence, the Statue ...
[+] of Liberty gazes across New York harbor. (Photo by Santi Visalli/Getty Images) Santi Visalli Many of our planet’s most iconic sights — the Egyptian pyramids, Roman Colosseum, Stonehenge and those giant heads on Easter Islands — are enshrined as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are nearly 1,200 of them worldwide, places and things that the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization deems to have cultural, natural or historical significance of outstanding value to humanity.
The sites are spread across 168 countries and every continent. Italy tops the chart with 59 designations, followed by China, France, Germany, Spain and India. And even though many Americans don’t realize it, the United States is no slouch when it comes to world heritage sites.
As of 2024, the U.S. boasts 25 sites in 21 different states and Puerto Rico.
They fall into four main categories: nature, history, Native American and a very special architecture category that includes the work of a single individual. How many of these have you visited? Bison and geysers — two of the features that helped earn UNESCO World Heritage status for ..
. [+] Yellowstone National Park. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images) Getty Images Natural Attractions From Wrangell-St Elias in Alaska to the Everglades in Florida, Hawaii Volcanoes to the.
