World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites are various areas or objects inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) World Heritage List. The sites are designated as having 'outstanding universal value' under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This convention, which was adopted by UNESCO in 1972, provides a framework for international cooperation in preserving and natural areas throughout the world. There are three types of sites: cultural, natural and mixed. Cultural heritage sites include hundreds of historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites and works of monumental sculpture or painting. Natural heritage sites are restricted to those natural areas that (1) furnish outstanding examples of the Earth's record of life or its geologic processes,(2) provide excellent examples of ongoing ecological and biological evolutionary processes,(3) contain natural phenomena that are rare, unique, superlative or of outstanding beauty, or (4) furnish habitats for rare or endangered animals or plants or are sites or exceptional biodiversity. Mixed heritage sites contain elements of both natural and culturally significant. World Heritage designations often boost local economies by encouraging tourism. In addition, UNESCO funds numerous efforts to preserve and restore sites in developing nations.