Kakadu National Park

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1981 (extension: 1987, 1992; modification: 2011)

criteria. Mixed

The Kakadu National Park WHS is located in the territory of the Northern Territory. It is an important reserve for archaeology and ethnology as well as flora and fauna biology. Continuously inhabited by the Australian Aboriginal people from some 50,000 years ago, well-preserved art (cave paintings, rock carvings), anthropological, and archaeological sites record the histories, practices, and cultures of the region’s indigenous inhabitants. The wide range of ecosystems here, including tidal flats, floodplains, lowlands, plateau, mangroves, savanna woodlands, open forests, and monsoon forests, provide habitat for an array of rare or endemic species of animals and plants.

K'gari (Fraser Island)

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1992

criteria. Natural

Fraser Island – also known as K’gari, its Australian Aboriginal name – is in the state of Queensland. It is the longest sand island in the world. Distinctive natural features found here include: majestic remnants of tall rainforest growing on sand, perched freshwater dune lakes, a large unconfined aquifer, sandy long stretches of ocean beach, strikingly coloured sand cliffs, and spectacular blowouts. All of these showcase the ongoing biological, hydrological, and geomorphological processes found here.

In 2021, the official name of the World Heritage Site was changed from Fraser Island to K'gari (Fraser Island). 

Shark Bay, Western Australia

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1991

criteria. Natural

Shark Bay WHS is in the state of Western Australia, and hosts three exceptional natural features: one, the largest and richest sea-grass beds in the world; two, its dugong population; and three, the stromatolites (alga organisms, which are one of the oldest lifeforms on Earth). Furthermore, five species of endangered mammals can also be found here.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1987

criteria. Mixed

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, formerly known as the Ayers Rock-Mount Olga National Park, the name by which this WHS was originally listed as, is in the territory of the Northern Territory. The park centres on Uluru – an immense monolith – and Kata Tjuta – rock domes – that rise above the red sandy deserts of the area. The Anangu are the Aboriginal Australian group that owns the area, and the two geologic formations form a crucial part of their traditional belief system.

Kizhi Pogost

country. Russia

year of inscription. 1990

criteria. Cultural

The Kizhi Pogost WHS is located in the federal subject of the Republic of Karelia; the pogost (i.e., enclosure) here is on Kizhi Island in Lake Onega. Within it are three wooden structures: two 18th-century CE churches – the Church of the Transfiguration and the Church of the Intercession – and an octagonal clock tower built in 1862. This complex exemplifies the artistry of wooden architecture in Russia.

Struve Geodetic Arc

countries. Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine

year of inscription. 2005

criteria. Cultural

One aspect of academic study that was recorded as far back as the 4th century BCE was establishing the size and shape of Earth. In the 16th century CE, a method known as triangulation was devised to do this. To apply this calculation with greater precision, between 1816CE and 1855CE, astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve established point stations over a long distance. From Hammerfest, Norway along the Arctic Ocean to Staro-Nekrasovka, Ukraine on the Black Sea coast, 265 point stations were established in 10 countries, stretching over 2820km. These stations included a huge variety of forms, including small holes drilled in rocks, some of which were filled with lead; cross-shaped engraved marks on rocks; solid stone or brick with a marker; rock structures (cairns) with a central stone or brick marked by a drilled hole; individual bricks; or specially constructed obelisks or other monuments.

The WHS is composed of 34 of these original point stations in the following locations:

• Norway: four stations in the county of Troms og Finnmark;
• Sweden: four stations in provinces of Lapland and Norrbotten;
• Finland: six stations in the regions of Lapland, Central Finland, Uusimaa, and Kymenlaakso;
• Russia: two stations in Leningrad oblast;
• Latvia: three stations in the municipalities of Ergli, Jekabpils, and Jaunjelgava;
• Lithuania: three stations in the counties of Panevezys and Vilnius;
• Belarus: five stations in the regions of Grodno and Brest;
• Ukraine: four stations in the Khmelnitsky and Odessa oblasts; and
• Moldova: one station in Soroca district.

Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City (delisted)

country. United Kingdom
year of inscription. 2004; year of delisting. 2021

criteria. Cultural

Liverpool is a port-city in the metropolitan county of Merseyside. Six areas in the historic city centre and docklands of this city were listed as a WHS, showcasing its role as a major trading centre in the 18th and 19th centuries CE. This maritime mercantile hub played a crucial role in the growth of the British Empire and and the mass movement – both voluntary and forced – of people from northern Europe to North America. Its heritage buildings are evidence of this history as well as that of its pioneering role in aspects of industrial development, particularly in the dock, port, and transport industries. Liverpool was also credited as a WHS for being the hometown of one of the most famous pop acts in history, the Beatles, for whom, it was claimed, were influenced by Liverpool’s internationality.

In 2021, the WHS was delisted after massive redevelopment projects were allowed within the site and its buffer zone. These projects were deemed to have adversely impacted the integrity and authenticity of the WHS, and irreparably altered its skyline and profile. This makes it the third WHS to have been delisted.

High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago

countries. Finland and Sweden

year of inscription. 2000

criteria. Natural

This transnational WHS is found in the region of Ostrobothnia, Finland and the county of Vasternorrland, Sweden. They are situated on opposite coasts of the Gulf of Bothnia, a northern arm of the Baltic Sea. The Kvarken Archipelago was formed from the process of rapid glacio-isostatic uplift while the High Coast is the consequence of glaciation, glacial retreat, and the resultant uplift of land from the sea. Hence, these sites are important for examining the impacts and landforms of these geologic processes, as well as their interactions with ecosystems and biological processes.

Hanseatic City of Lübeck

country. Germany

year of inscription. 1987 (modification: 2009)

criteria. Cultural

Lübeck is a city in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. It was one of the principal cities and a former capital of the Hanseatic League. First founded in the 12th century CE, it prospered until the 16th century CE as a major trading centre in northern Europe, a role that it continues to undertake even today. Despite significant damage during World War II (1939 – 45), the old city retains much of its 15th- and 16th-century churches, buildings, and monuments.

Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl

country. Germany

year of inscription. 1984

criteria. Cultural

This WHS is composed of two sites in the city of Bruhl, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which are amongst the earliest examples of the richness of Rococo architecture in 18th-century CE Germany. This first is Augustusburg Castle, which was the grand residence of the prince-archbishops of Cologne, while the other is Falklenlust, a hunting lodge. The former, set in a lavish garden, was the result of work started by architect Johann Conrad Schlaun in 1725 and eventually completed under the architectural direction of Francois de Cuvilies. Falkenlust, on the other hand, was designed by Francois de Cuvilies, and its construction began in 1729. It is also set in its own park, albeit one which strives to resemble the randomness of a natural site.

Pilgrimage Church of Wies

country. Germany

year of inscription. 1983

criteria. Cultural

The Church of Wies is located in the state of Bavaria. In 1738, a supposed miracle happened with a wooden Christian figurine in the hamlet of Wies. Subsequently, a chapel was built to house the statue, which then became a pilgrimage site for adherents from Germany, Austria, Bavaria, and Italy. As the popularity of the site grew, it was decided that a church would be erected. Work began in 1745 under architect Dominikus Zimmermann, and was completed in 1754. The end-product has since been acknowledged as a Bavarian Rococo masterpiece.

Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square

country. Germany

year of inscription. 2010

criteria. Cultural

This WHS is a Baroque palace, located in the state of Bavaria, is one of the largest and, regarded by many, as one of the most beautiful in Germany. It was created in the 18th century CE under the patronage of Prince-Bishop of Bamberg, Lothar Franz von Schönborn and Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Friedrich Carl von Schönborn. Construction of the main residence was from 1720 – 1744CE, interior decorations from 1740 – 1770CE, and gardens landscaped from 1765 – 1780CE. An international team of architects and artists came together to build and decorate this magnificent edifice.

Aachen Cathedral

country. Germany

year of inscription. 1978

criteria. Cultural

Aachen Cathedral, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, was constructed between 793CE and 813CE, under the aegis of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. It served as his palatine chapel and later, his burial site in 814CE. The Carolingian stone throne in the cathedral was the coronation seat of emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from the Middle Ages until 1531CE. Additionally, it houses one of the richest troves of ecclesiastical treasures in northern Europe.

Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda

country. Brazil

year of inscription. 1982

criteria. Cultural

This WHS is located in the state of Pernambuco. Founded by the Portuguese in the 1535CE and rebuilt in the 18th century CE after being looted by the Dutch, the physical manifestations of this town is reflective of its role as a centre of the sugar cane industry and the wealth it wrought. Today, its urban landscape is shows a harmonious balance of colourful, tiled buildings, gardens, a wide variety of religious structures, including twenty Baroque churches, convents, and numerous small chapels (passos), and a web of streets and alleyways, all set in physical setting of lush tropical rainforests overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Hubei Shennongjia

country. China

year of inscription. 2016

criteria. Natural

Located in the province of Hubei, this WHS consists of two sites: Shennongding (or, Badong) and Laojunshan. Being the last remaining primary forests in Central China, this area containing many varied flora species, including endemic ones, featured prominently in the history of botanical research, spurring international plant-collecting expeditions in the 19th and 20 centuries CE. It is also home to a rich array of rare fauna species.

Yin Xu

country. China

year of inscription. 2006

criteria. Cultural

The archaeological site of Yin Xu, located in Henan province, is the location of the capital of the Shang Dynasty (1300 – 1046BCE) of ancient China. Artefacts unearthed here are testaments to the development, artistic and scientific attainment, and prosperity of the Chinese Bronze Age. The foundations of palaces and houses as well as tombs, with grave goods made of jade, bone, ceramic and bronze, have been excavated here; notable amongst the royal tombs is the sole intact one: the Tomb of Fu Hao. Also discovered here were oracle bones – with ideograms etched on them – which form the origins of the Chinese writing system, one of the oldest in the world.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

country. Canada

year of inscription. 1981

criteria. Cultural

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump WHS is located in the province of Alberta, where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. A buffalo jump is a site where the indigenous people hunt American bison (buffalos) by funneling them into drive lanes that end at a precipice, over which the bison are stampeded. The ability to engage in this traditional hunting method reflects a profound knowledge of the topography and animal behaviour. In this WHS, the remains of a marked trail, aboriginal butchering camps, and a tumulus with vast quantities of bison skeletons can be found. The site is evident of nearly 6,000 years of said activity, albeit with one lengthy period of – as-yet – unexplained interruption. It provides historical, archaeological, and scientific information into the way of life of indigenous people of the area.

Yellowstone National Park

country. United States of America

year of inscription. 1978

criteria. Cultural

Yellowstone National Park is, for the most of its area, in the state of Wyoming, with smaller adjacent parts in the neighbouring states of Montana and Idaho. The WHS is famed for containing half of the world’s known geothermal features, including more than 10,000 examples, of which there are 300 geysers – two-thirds of the total number of known geysers on Earth. It is also home to one of the last large, remaining, and intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone, with wildlife such as grizzly bears, wolves, bisons, and elks (wapitis).