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The Top 5 Countries with the Largest Extent of Natural World Heritage Sites
| Country | Area of World Heritage Sites (hectares) | % of National Protected Areas | Number of World Heritage Sites | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 44,640,708 ha | 31% | 18 |
| 2 | Russia | 20,997,027 ha | 13% | 24 |
| 3 | Canada | 10,663,549 ha | 12% | 15 |
| 4 | United States | 10,133,617 ha | 4% | 21 |
| 5 | Ecuador | 9,028,439 ha | 43% | 4 |
Special Report
- As of 2010 there are 201 natural World Heritage Sites around the globe. 176 are classified as natural sites, and 25 are classified as mixed sites.
- Natural World Heritage Sites protect over 177 million hectares (ha) of land and sea. This amounts to 8% of the total area of all recorded protected areas, 21% of the total area of all recorded marine protected areas; and an area equivalent to 10.3% of all IUCN categorized protected areas.
- Of all areas recorded as protected areas in the World Database on Protected Areas, natural World Heritage Sites include: 11% of the total protected area in Asia and the Pacific; 9% of the total protected area in Africa, 6.5% of the total protected area in Latin America and the Caribbean, 6% of the total protected area in the Arab States; and 6% of the total protected area in Europe and North America.
- 81 countries around the word have an area designated as a natural World Heritage Site. In 17 countries the extent of World Heritage Sites is more than 25% of all protected areas and in 32 countries the extent of World Heritage Sites is more than 10% of all protected areas.
- More than half of the member states of the World Heritage Convention have no natural World Heritage Site.
- ICUN. (2010). "World Heritage Facts and Figures 2010". Retrieved Feb, 2011 from http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/wcpa_worldheritage/wcpa_whfacts/
Tags:
Travel & Tourism , Top 5 Largest, The United States, Canada, Australia
Sources: ICUN: World Heritage Facts and Figures 2010.
List Notes: List is countries with the largest extent of natural World Heritage Sites in hectares as of the year 2010.
Sources: ICUN: World Heritage Facts and Figures 2010.
List Notes: List is countries with the largest extent of natural World Heritage Sites in hectares as of the year 2010.
