Subtopic 1: World Heritage Sites Overview
– There are 1,199 World Heritage Sites in 168 countries.
– 933 are cultural sites, 227 are natural sites, and 39 are mixed properties.
– Italy has the most sites with 59, followed by China with 57.
– France and Germany both have 52 sites each.
– 27 state parties have no properties listed, including The Bahamas and Kuwait.
Subtopic 2: Countries with No World Heritage Sites
– The Bahamas, Bhutan, and Brunei are among the 27 state parties without listed sites.
– Other countries include Liberia, Maldives, and Samoa.
– Liechtenstein and Nauru are the only UN member states not part of the Convention.
– Some countries like Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan have no listed sites.
– Trinidad and Tobago and Tuvalu are also among the countries without World Heritage Sites.
Subtopic 3: Transboundary World Heritage Sites
– The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier is shared among 7 countries.
– Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System, is shared by 6 countries.
– Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps involve 6 countries.
– The Struve Geodetic Arc is shared by 10 countries.
– The Silk Roads Network is shared by China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Subtopic 4: Notable Shared World Heritage Sites
– The Belfries of Belgium and France are a shared cultural site.
– The W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is a shared natural site in Africa.
– Stone Circles of Senegambia are shared between Gambia and Senegal.
– Muskauer Park is a shared cultural site between Germany and Poland.
– The Maloti-Drakensberg Park is shared between Lesotho and South Africa.
Subtopic 5: Unique Shared World Heritage Sites
– The Sangha Trinational natural site is shared by Cameroon, CAR, and Congo.
– The Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region are shared by Poland and Ukraine.
– The Heritage of Mercury is shared between Slovenia and Spain.
– Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls is shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
– The Uvs Nuur Basin natural site is shared between Mongolia and Russia.
As of January 2024, there are a total of 1,199 World Heritage Sites located across 168 countries, of which 933 are cultural, 227 are natural, and 39 are mixed properties. The countries have been divided by the World Heritage Committee into five geographical zones: Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. With 59 selected areas, Italy is the country with the most sites; followed by China with 57, then France and Germany with 52 each.
Of the 195 state parties of the World Heritage Convention, 27 have no properties inscribed on the World Heritage List: The Bahamas, Bhutan, Brunei, Burundi, the Comoros, the Cook Islands, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Kuwait, Liberia, Maldives, Monaco, Niue, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tuvalu.
Only two UN member states are not state parties of the World Heritage Convention: Liechtenstein and Nauru.