World Heritage Site

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.
The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 UNESCO member states which are elected by the General Assembly.
The programme catalogues, names, and conserves sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.
Under certain conditions, listed sites can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund.
The program was founded with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage, which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972.
Since then, 191 states parties have ratified the Convention, making it one of the most adhered to international instruments. Only Liechtenstein, Nauru, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu are not Party to the Convention.
As of July 2015, 1083 sites in 163 states parties.
View country with more sites:
  view the Italy 51 sites or view photos of Italy
  view the China 48 sites or view photos of China
  view the Spain 44 sites or view photos of Spain
  view the France 41 sites or view photos of France
  view the Germany 40 sites or view photos of Germany
  view the Mexico 33 sites or view photos of Mexico
  view the India 32 sites or view photos of India

View sites by Region: Europe and North America, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia an Pacific, Arab States
View sites by Type: Natural, Cultural, Mixed