Heritage with Related Tags
Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves
The peaks of the South Atlantic Undersea Ridge form the Fernando de Noronha and Rocas Atolls off the coast of Brazil. They occupy a large part of the island surface of the South Atlantic Ocean and their rich waters are extremely important for the breeding and feeding of tuna, sharks, turtles and marine mammals. The islands are home to the largest concentration of tropical seabirds in the western Atlantic. Baia de Golfinhos has an amazing population of dolphins and at low tide Rocas Atoll presents a spectacular seascape with lagoons and tidal pools teeming with fish.
Gough and Inaccessible Islands
Located in the South Atlantic, the site is one of the least disturbed island and marine ecosystems in the cold temperate zone. The spectacular cliffs of Gough and Inaxesible Islands rise above the sea, are free of introduced mammals and are home to one of the largest seabird colonies in the world. Gough Island has two endemic land birds, the waterhen and the Gough Island rowetti, and 12 endemic plant species, while Inaxesible Island has two bird species, eight plant species, and at least 10 endemic invertebrate species.
Yogyakarta's Cosmic Axis and Its Historical Landmarks
The central axis of Yogyakarta was defined by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I in the 18th century and has been one of the centers of government and Javanese cultural tradition ever since. The six-kilometer-long north-south axis, centered on the Kraton (Royal Palace), connects Mount Merapi to the Indian Ocean and features several important cultural sites along the way. The axis embodies core Javanese beliefs related to the universe, including the understanding of the cycle of life.
Le Morne Cultural Landscape
Le Morne Cultural Landscape is a rugged mountain range jutting into the Indian Ocean in southwestern Mauritius, which was used as a refuge by escaped slaves, the Maroons, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Protected by the mountain’s isolated, wooded and almost inaccessible cliffs, escaped slaves established small settlements in caves and on the summit of Le Morne. Oral traditions associated with the Maroons have made Le Morne a symbol of the slaves’ struggle for freedom, suffering and sacrifice, all of which are linked to the countries from which they came - mainland Africa, Madagascar, India and Southeast Asia. In fact, Mauritius was an important stopover in the eastern slave trade and is known as the “Republic of the Maroons” because of the large number of escaped slaves who lived in Le Morne.
Henderson Island
Henderson Island is located in the eastern South Pacific and is one of the few atolls in the world whose ecological environment is almost unaffected by human influence. Its isolated geographical location provides an ideal environment for studying island evolution and the dynamics of natural selection. The island is particularly noteworthy for its 10 endemic plant species and 4 land bird species.
Phoenix Islands Protected Area
The Phoenix Island Protected Area (PIPA) is located in the South Pacific Ocean and covers 408,250 square kilometers of marine and terrestrial habitats. The protected area includes the Phoenix Islands, one of three archipelagos in Kiribati and the largest designated marine protected area and the world's largest coral reef complex. PIPA protects one of the world's largest intact marine coral island ecosystems, as well as 14 known seamounts (presumed to be extinct volcanoes) and other deep-sea habitats. There are approximately 800 known animal species in the area, including about 200 species of coral, 500 species of fish, 18 species of marine mammals, and 44 species of birds. The structure and function of the PIPA ecosystem illustrate its pristine nature and importance as a migration route and reservoir. This is the first site in Kiribati to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Saloum Delta
Fishing and shellfish gathering provide livelihoods for people across 5,000 square kilometres of land formed by three rivers. The site includes brackish waterways, more than 200 islands and islets, mangroves, Atlantic marine environments and dry forests.
Heard and McDonald Islands
Heard Island and McDonald Islands are located in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,700 km from the Antarctic continent and 4,100 km southwest of Perth. As the only volcanically active subantarctic islands, they "open a window to the Earth", providing opportunities to observe ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics. Heard Island and McDonald Island are among the world's rare pristine island ecosystems, with unique conservation value in the complete absence of introduced flora and fauna and human impact.
Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island (34 km long and 5 km wide) is an island in the Southern Ocean, 1,500 km southeast of Tasmania, approximately midway between the Australian and Antarctic continents. The island is the exposed top of the submarine Macquarie Ridge, currently located at the junction of the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates. This is a site of great geological preservation significance, being the only place on Earth where rocks of the mantle (6 km below the seafloor) are actively exposed above sea level. These unique exposures include excellent examples of pillow basalts and other extrusive rocks.
Canal du Midi
This 360-kilometre network of navigable waterways, connecting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean through 328 structures (locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc.), is one of the most outstanding civil engineering feats of the modern era. Built between 1667 and 1694, it paved the way for the Industrial Revolution. Its creator, Pierre-Paul Riquet, put a lot of thought into its design and the way it integrates with its surroundings, turning a technical achievement into a work of art.
East Rennell
East Rennell is located in the southern third of Rennell Island, the southernmost island of the Solomon Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. At 86 km long and 15 km wide, Rennell is the largest raised coral atoll in the world. The site covers an area of approximately 37,000 hectares, with the marine area extending 3 nautical miles out to sea. The main feature of the island is Lake Tejano, which was once a lagoon on the atoll. The lake is the largest of the Pacific Islands (15,500 hectares), is brackish and contains many rugged limestone islands and endemic species. Most of Rennell is covered in dense forest, with an average canopy height of 20 meters. Combined with the strong climatic influences from frequent hurricanes, the site is a true natural laboratory for scientific research. The site is under traditional land ownership and management.