10 countries with the most UNESCO sites

Before we present you with a list of countries with the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, let's figure out what it is.

Is a masterpiece of human creative genius;
Proves the significant mutual influence of universal human values in a certain historical period or cultural space;
Is a unique or exclusive object for a culture and / or civilization, existing or extinct;
It is an outstanding example of the construction of an architectural landscape, illustrating an important period in human history;
Is an outstanding example of traditional human settlement or human interaction with the environment;
The object is directly related to historical events, or cultural traditions, religious beliefs, artistic or literary works and is of great global importance.

World Heritage Sites fall into three categories:

cultural, i.e. man-made - mostly architectural monuments.
created by nature - for example, rock formations or caves, lakes, rivers and waterfalls
mixed, i.e. created jointly by nature and man - for the most part these are various parks and gardens.

Natural objects have their own selection criteria - for example, a natural phenomenon of exceptional beauty and aesthetic value.

Below we present the top 10 countries with the largest number of such properties. In all these countries, UNESCO has marked more than 20 sites.

10. USA

In the United States, there are cultural heritage sites of the Native American population, for example, Taos Pueblo, an ancient Indian settlement. These are also structures created in the 19th and 20th centuries, for example, the Statue of Liberty.

In addition, the United States has several World Heritage Sites created by nature. These include the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. In total, there are 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States.

9.Russia

Russia got into this top thanks to its rich and varied history and colossal territory. Among the objects of cultural heritage of Russia are the Moscow, Novgorod and Kazan Kremlin, the historical centers of St. Petersburg and Yaroslavl.

There are also as many as 10 natural heritage sites in Russia, including the famous Lake Baikal and the Golden Altai Mountains.

8.UK

The United Kingdom has many cultural heritage sites dating back to the period of the Roman-Imperial occupation. Many of them are associated with events affecting the global history of Europe. The Fortified Frontier of the Roman Empire and the Tower of London are especially famous.

7. India

India is the homeland of the most ancient earthly civilizations, which saw the rise and fall of many empires and royal dynasties, as well as several world religions - Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. India has several world heritage sites created by nature - caves and national parks.

The most famous cultural heritage sites in India are the royal palace Taj Mahal and cave temples located on the island of Elephanta.

6. Mexico

Mexico was home to two of the most ancient civilizations that lived in the New World before the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries - the Aztecs and Maya. The earliest settlements of European colonists in the New World were also located here.

Mexico's World Heritage Sites include the historic city center of Puebla, and the ancient pre-Spanish cities of Teotihuacan, Chichen Itza and El Taheen.

5. Germany

During its long history, Germany has been both part of the Holy Roman Empire and the center of the German Empire. Hence, a large number of cultural heritage sites. The most famous of them are Wartburg Castle and Cologne Cathedral.

4. France

As in the case of Germany, the history of France is closely related to the Roman Empire. At one time, the Frankish tribes lived within the Empire. Later, however, France itself became a powerful monarchy.

So it comes as no surprise that in France, many sites are listed as World Heritage Sites. First of all, these are Notre Dame Cathedral and the Palace of Versailles.

3. Spain

Of the 45 sites, 3 are located outside Europe - for example, the Garajonay National Park, located on the island of La Gomera. This is due to the fact that Spain still retained some of the lands acquired during the era of colonization.

In Spain itself, the most famous sites are the Roman city walls of Lugo and Burgos Cathedral.

2. China

China is home to the world's oldest civilizations and many still living and extinct cultures. There are many different cultural heritage sites in China, including the Great Wall of China.

But there are also a dozen natural heritage sites in China. One of these places is Karst deposits in South China

1. Italy

Finally, most of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Italy - home of the Holy Roman Empire, the Christian religion and most of the Renaissance figures. Italy's cultural heritage sites include the historic centers of Rome, Naples, Florence, Castel del Monte and Villa del Casale.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Owning UNESCO World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites make a significant contribution to the tourism industry, and therefore to the economies of the countries that own them. They tend to be the most attractive for tourists visiting these countries.

This means more tourist flow, and therefore more money attracted by this industry. However, owning World Heritage properties also comes at a high cost. The government of the country that owns the World Heritage site has to spend a lot of money to repair, protect and maintain these sites.

This can create big problems for a given country, especially during difficult economic periods.