Africa
Photo galleries
World Heritage 2009
Pictures from the 2009 World Heritage photo gallery.
World Heritage 2008
Pictures from the 2008 World Heritage photo gallery.
More photos
Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary
Senegal
Managed by the Senegalese National Parks Service of the Ministry for the protection of Nature, the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary is the 3rd largest wetland in the world. It’s a large seasonally flooded area of lakes, bayous, ponds and rivers. One of the first stops after the Sahara Desert for birds migrating from Europe; it can, during the winter months, host up to 3 million migrating birds and accommodates a large bird breeding population.
Asia
Tropical rainforest heritage of Sumatra
Last refuge for Indonesia’s largest mammals.
The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra is composed of three protected areas on the island of Sumatra, western Indonesia: the Gunung Leuser National Park, the Kerinci Seblat National Park and the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. All three of them together represent the most significant remnant of forest in Sumatra and are home to the critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan, tiger, Asian rhinoceros and elephant. The protected areas are managed by the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Forest Conservation (PHKA) of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry.
Europe
Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona
Where geologists discovered how mountains were created
Managed by three cantons in Switzerland: St Gallen, Glarus and Graubunden, the Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona is an extremely important learning site for earth scientists from all over the world. Its main feature is the overthrust - a process whereby older, deeper rocks are carried onto younger, shallower rocks. This phenomenon is widely recognized as the main component of mountain building. The mechanics of large sub-horizontal overthrusts remain an enigma, and the Arena is one place where new theories are tested against observed facts. The thrust is clearly visible even to non-geologists, as the overthrust line is highlighted by contrasting colours.
USA
Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California
The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California in Mexico comprise 244 islands and coastal areas where nature is rarely disturbed. Due to its variety of climatic conditions and the broad range of terrestrial and marine ecological processes, this area has become an oasis for marine mammals and birds. Its marine life is one of the most diverse in the world and the region has been described by Jacques Cousteau as an ‘ocean’s aquarium’. It is not only a haven for many rare and endangered species but also an incredible laboratory for studying marine life and dynamics.
