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Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw, Saudi Arabia -

Nearly 12,000 artifacts have been unearthed at the Al-Faw Archaeological Area, a site of considerable historical significance located at the fringe of Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter. The remains span from prehistoric times to the Late pre-Islamic era and include this pre-Islamic funerary stele.

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Badain Jaran Desert, China -

China's Badain Jaran Desert is set across the country's arid Alashan Plateau. A region distinguished for its high density of spectacular mega-dunes, intersected with a series of interdunal lakes, Badain Jaran is a veritable oasis of biodiversity.

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Beijing Central Axis, China -

An impressive example of the ideal floorplan of the Chinese capital, Beijing Central Axis showcases urban planning along the lines of Confucian philosophy and the order of the world. Running north to south through the heart of historical Beijing, the axis is composed of former imperial palaces and gardens, sacrificial structures, and ceremonial and public buildings. 

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Brâncusi Monumental Ensemble of Târgu Jiu, Romania -

Showcasing the work of influential Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși (1876–1957), the Brâncusi Monumental Ensemble of Târgu Jiu was created in 1937 to commemorate those who fell in the First World War. The works are located in two parks and include the iconic 'Table of Silence' (pictured).

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Cultural Landscape of Kenozero Lake, Russia -

Set in the verdant surroundings of Kenozero National Park, Kenozero Lake is noted for an ensemble of historic wooden buildings, mostly churches and other religious structures, with some made by Slavic settlers in the 12th century. They serve as visual landmarks of the area.

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Dacian Limes, Romania -

The longest land border of a former Roman province in Europe, the Dacian Limes represent the Romanian segment of a frontier that extended some 4,660 miles (7,500 km) by the 2nd century, snaking across parts of Europe and North Africa. The Dacian Limes itself stretches for over 621 miles (1,000 km). The border is defined by a network of individual sites that include legionary fortresses, auxiliary forts, earthen ramparts, and watch towers. Porolissum (pictured) is among the best-preserved sites.

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Gedi, Kenya -

Founded in the 10th century, Gedi was once one of the most important Swahili cities on the East African coast before it was abandoned in the 17th century. The settlement served as a hub of international trade, linking African coastal centers with Persia and other regions.

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Hegmataneh, Iran -

Hegmataneh, also known as Ecbatana, was an ancient city, the capital of the Median kingdom, and the first capital in Iranian history. It later served as the summer capital of the Achaemenid and Parthian empires. Located in modern-day Hamadan, Hegmataneh remains a site of immense historical significance.

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Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil -

Located in northeastern Brazil, on the east coast of Maranhão, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is remarkable for a vast white coastal dune field rippling with numerous lagoons of various colors, shapes, sizes, and depths. This extraordinary ecosystem is home to an astonishing variety of flora and fauna.

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Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia -

The Marquesas archipelago is anchored in the azure waters of the South Pacific. Its geographical isolation and rugged topography makes this chain of islands a hotspot of biodiversity, comprising as it does a unique terrestrial and marine ecosystem that is home to numerous endemic species of flora and fauna.

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Melka Kunture and Balchit, Ethiopia -

Melka Kunture and Balchit represent archaeological and paleontological sites in the Ethiopian Highlands. Of special interest is the ancient volcanic landscape in the Awash Valley, trodden by humans since prehistory.

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Moidams, India -

Moidams refer to the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty, rulers of the Ahom Kingdom from 1228 to 1826. More than 90 mounds are clustered in the foothills of the Patkai Ranges in eastern Assam and contain the remains of kings and other noblemen.

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Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites, South Africa -

The Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites represent the legacy of the South African struggle for human rights, liberation, and reconciliation. A serial site of 14 components set in places as diverse as Pretoria and Soweto, they commemorate the struggle to end apartheid and the emergence of the post-colonial nation. The Great Place at Mqhekezweni (pictured) is of particular relevance: it's where Nelson Mandela lived as a young man.

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Niah Caves, Malaysia -

Niah National Park's caves complex holds the remains of prehistoric human burial sites that are at least 50,000 years old. A series of colossal, interconnected caverns, the Niah Caves are located near the west coast of Borneo and highlight the adaptation of very early humans to living in a tropical rainforest environment.

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Phu Phrabat, Thailand -

Situated in Ban Phue district in Udon Thani province, this fascinating archaeological site features a large number of ancient ruins that reflect the Sīma stone tradition of erecting huge stones in situ as rock shelters, a tradition that dates back to the Dvaravati period (7th-11th centuries).

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Sado Island Gold Mines, Japan -

The gold mines located on Japan's Sado Island illustrate the different unmechanized mining methods of extracting gold and silver deposits from deep underground. Production peaked during the 17th century, with mining operations ceasing in 1989.

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Schwerin Residence Ensemble, Germany -

The fairy-tale residential palace of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin serves as the centerpiece of this site, an ensemble of 19th-century properties that also includes a cathedral and the Schelf Church, the family burial place of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

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Tell Umm Amer, Gaza Strip -

The archaeological complex in the Gaza Strip known as Tell Umm Amer, which comprises the remains of the Monastery of Saint Hilarion, was simultaneously inscribed on the World Heritage List and on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip is seriously threatening the integrity of this historic destination. Founded in 340 by Saint Hilarion, the monastery is one of the oldest sites in the Middle East and was home to the first monastic community in the Holy Land.

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Flow Country, Scotland -

The Flow Country, a vast and unspoiled blanket bog that carpets the far north of Scotland, is considered the largest of its kind in the world. This rare type of peatland is a haven for an abundance of wildlife, including a wide range of birds.

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The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa -

The Pleistocene is the geological epoch that lasted from c. 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago. The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa are three dispersed archaeological sites related to the origins of modern human behavior: Pinnacle Point Site Complex (pictured) in the southern coast of South Africa, Diepkloof Rock Shelter located in the Western Cape, and Sibhudu Cave in KwaZulu-Natal province.

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Royal Court of Tiébélé, Burkina Faso -

Established since the 16th century, the Royal Court of Tiébélé comprises a large compound of painted houses made of earth, wood, and straw. While the abodes are built by the men of the Royal Court, it's the women who are responsible for the decorative artwork. The entire complex bears testimony to the social organization and cultural values of the Kassena people.

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Umm Al-Jimāl, Jordan -

Umm Al-Jimāl was established around the 5th century and thrived until the 8th century. Emerging from an arid basaltic landscape, this remote rural settlement in northern Jordan stands on the foundations of an earlier Roman outpost.

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Via Appia, Italy -

The oldest and most important of the great roads built by the Romans, Via Appia was constructed in 312 BCE to facilitate rapid and direct communication between Rome and Brindisi, in southeast Italy. The ancient highway is nearly 500 miles (800 km) long.

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Vjetrenica Cave, Bosnia and Herzegovina -

Vjetrenica is the largest cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one of the most biodiverse in the world for cave-dwelling fauna, notably subterranean aquatic fauna. Vjetrenica Cave's 4.7 miles (7.6 km) of passages and galleries snake under the Dinaric Alps mountain range.

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Migratory Bird Sanctuaries, China -

One of two existing World Heritage Sites extended in 2024, the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries are found along the Yellow Sea coast and the Bohai Gulf. The jewel in the crown is the Yancheng Wetland National Nature Reserve, where rare birds such as the red-crowned crane congregate in large numbers.

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Moravian Church Settlements -

The second site afforded an extension is the Moravian Church Settlements. This is a transnational serial extension of Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement in Denmark already inscribed on the World Heritage List. The extension includes three municipalities founded in the 18th century: Herrnhut, in Germany (pictured); Bethlehem, in the United States; and Gracehill, in the United Kingdom.

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The UNESCO World Heritage Site list -

The addition of 24 properties inscribed in 2024 brings the total of UNESCO World Heritage Sites currently listed to 1,223, located in all four corners of the world.

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The original list -

The first version of the list in 1978 included just 12 sites, among them the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

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Island of Goree, Senegal -

Also inscribed in 1978 was the Island of Goree in Senegal. From the 15th century to the 19th century, Goree was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast.

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Yellowstone National Park, USA -

Yellowstone National Park in the United States was another inaugural site. Yellowstone was the first national park in the US and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world.

Sources: (UNESCO) (CNN)

See also: Read into UNESCO's Cities of Literature

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