New Delhi: There are numerous places in the world which have been designated by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites due to their immense historical and cultural value. Rather, because of their contribution to the human society, for not all heritage sites have historical significance. A heritage site should not always be a monument or place, as there are many natural wonders in the world which have also been deemed as World Heritage Sites. In article, we will take a look at some of the famous natural heritage sites in the world.
Famous natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Vallée de Mai
Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. It has 19.5 ha area of palm forests which has remained mostly unchanged since the prehistoric times. Dominating the landscape is the world’s largest population of endemic coco-de-mer, a flagship species of global significance as the bearer of the largest seed in the plant kingdom. The forest is also home to five other endemic palms and many endemic fauna species.
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is one of the most famous national parks in the world. The Serengeti is well known for the largest annual animal migration in the world of over 1.5 million blue wildebeest and 250,000 zebra along with smaller herds of Thomson’s gazelle and eland. Also, the largest lion population in Africa can be found in the park.
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean and is a province of Ecuador. The 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. The Galápagos are a ‘melting pot’ of marine species since it is located at the confluence of three ocean currents. It is known for its unusual wildlife, like the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many types of finch that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution after he visited the place in 1835.
Yellowstone National Park
The Yellowstone National Park in the United States is not only known as the first national park in the country but is also hailed as the first of its kind in the world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, most notably the Old Faithful geyser. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining nearly intact ecosystem in the Earth’s northern temperate zone.
Great Barrier Reef
It is the largest coral reef system in the world with more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands with a total area of around 344,400 square kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Australia’s Queensland. It can be reportedly seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms.
Dolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. It has a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to above 3,000 metres and cover 141,903 ha. It features some enthralling beautiful landscapes, and the site also has glacial landforms and karst systems. It is characterized by dynamic processes with frequent landslides, floods and avalanches.
This article explores six renowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites celebrated for their exceptional natural beauty and ecological significance. From the unique palm forests of Vallée de Mai to the breathtaking wildlife of the Serengeti and the Galapagos Islands’ evolutionary marvels, we journey through diverse landscapes. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
