WORLD HERITAGE SITE

any of various areas or objects inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (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 protecting cultural treasures and natural areas throughout the world. All sites on the list are under strict legal protection by the government of the nation in which they are situated. There are three types of sites: cultural, natural, and mixed. Cultural heritage sites include historic buildings and townsites, 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 of exceptional biodiversity. Mixed heritage sites contain elements of both natural and cultural significance. The ratio of cultural to natural sites on the World Heritage List is roughly three to one, and several new sites are added to the list each December. Additional reading Patrimonio del mundo, 12 vol. (1997), is an extensively illustrated encyclopedia of World Heritage sites arranged by geographic region. The Encyclopedia of World Art, 15 vol. (195968, rev. printing 1972; two supplements 1983, 1987), includes maps, diagrams, and descriptions of numerous archaeological sites; whereas Brian M. Fagan (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Archaeology (1996), is a concise reference. The Encyclopaedia of Islam, new ed. (1954 ), discusses the history and architecture of historic cities and ruins in Africa and Asia. Feature articles on World Heritage sites, as well as extensive photography, are provided in UNESCO's World Heritage Review (quarterly), and The UNESCO Courier (monthly). See also selected articles in Archaeology (monthly) and National Geographic Magazine (monthly).