 |
World Heritage Sites in the United
States
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) has identified 878 World Heritage sites that it considers of
“outstanding universal value.” In the United States, there are 20 of these
sites; the 17 that are natural sites are listed below. The World Heritage
Web site is as follows: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/ .
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Illinois: Between
A.D. 900 and A.D.
1500 the Cahokia site was the regional center for the Mississippian Indian
culture. Named for the Cahokia Indians who came after them, Cahokia
features the largest prehistoric earthen constructions in the Americas, a
testament to the sophisticated engineering skills of Mississippian
culture.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico: Carlsbad
Caverns National Park is a network of more than 80 limestone caves,
including the nation's deepest—1,597 feet—and third longest. The
Lechuguilla Cave is particularly noteworthy for its beautiful stalagtites
and stalagmites.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico:
Between A.D. 900 and A.D. 1100, the Anasazi built large multistory stone
villages and an impressive 400-mile road system in Chaco canyon
exemplifying their engineering and construction talents.
Everglades National Park, Florida: The Everglades, or
“River of Grass” as the Seminoles called it, is formed by a river of fresh
water 6 inches deep and 50 miles wide that flows slowly across the expanse
of land of sawgrass marshes, pine forests, and mangrove islands. More than
300 species of birds live in the park as well as alligators, manatees, and
Florida panthers.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska: The
park is made up of a huge chain of great tidewater glaciers and a dramatic
range of landscapes, from rocky terrain recently covered by ice to lush
temperate rain forest. Brown and black bears, mountain goats, whales
(including humpbacks), seals, and eagles can be found within the park.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: The Grand Canyon
is among Earth's greatest ongoing geological spectacles. About 65 million
years ago in Earth's shifting, a huge area of land was lifted a mile and a
half above sea level, forming what is now the Colorado Plateau. For the
last 6 to 10 million years, the Colorado River has been slowly carving its
way down through the center, exposing the many colorful strata of
rock.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina/Tennessee:
“Place of Blue Smoke” was the name given by the Cherokee Indians
to these Appalachian Highlands. The forest here exudes water vapor and
oily residues which create a smoke-like haze that surrounds the peaks and
fills the valleys. The park is one of the world's finest temperate
deciduous forests.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii: It is thought
that the Hawaiian islands were created when molten rock pushed through
Earth's crust, forming volcanoes. The two most spectacular live volcanoes
are Kilauea and Mauna Loa.
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky: Mammoth Cave, as
its name suggests, is the world's most extensive cave system, with 345
miles of passages. Water seeping into the cave creates stalactites,
stalagmites, and white gypsum crystal formations. Rare and unusual
animals, such as blind fish and colorless spiders, demonstrate adaptation
to the absolute blackness and isolation.
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado: In the sixth
century, the Anasazi, or “Ancient Ones,” established villages on the high,
flat land in southwestern Colorado. In the late 1100s they began
constructing multistory stone apartment houses, or pueblos, tucked on
ledges and under rock overhangs.
Olympic National Park, Washington: The park
encompasses not only snow-capped Mount Olympus, glaciers, alpine meadows,
and rocky Pacific Mountain coastline, but also one of the few temperate
rain forests in the world. The luxuriant forest is created by the warm,
moisture-laden air from the Pacific meeting the mountains, resulting in a
dense, green, jungle-like world.
Redwood National Park, California: Redwood National
Park contains the tallest living things on Earth, evergreen trees that
grow to 350 feet. Descendants of the giant evergreens that grew during the
age of the dinosaurs, redwoods take 400 years to mature. Some of the
survivors are more than 2,000 years old.
Taos Pueblo, New Mexico: Pueblo de Taos is thought to
have appeared before A.D. 1400 and is the best
preserved of the pueblos (communal housing) north of the border. Taos is a
remarkable example of a traditional type of architectural ensemble from
the pre-Hispanic period of the Americas and is unique to this region.
Today Taos is inhabited by the Taos Pueblo Indians, and it is still an
active community.
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Montana:
The two parks sustain an exceptionally diverse habitat, including wolves,
bears, and mountain lions. It also features a wide variety of wild flowers
and wildlife, including bighorn sheep and bald eagles.
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska:
The park is made up of gargantuan icefields and about 2,000
glaciers that have created a sculpted landscape of valleys, peaks, and
lakes. This premier wilderness contains extensive bird, animal, and marine
mammal habitats where trumpeter swans, Daal sheep, bisons, and sea lions
dwell.
Yosemite National Park, California: Yosemite, located
in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, contains breathtaking panoramas
of rugged scenery and a huge variety of plant and animal life. During the
last Ice Age the granite bedrock was gouged and shaped into bare peaks,
sheer cliffs, rounded domes, and huge monoliths.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education,
Inc. All rights reserved.
More on World Heritage Sites in the United States from Infoplease:
- NATIONAL PARKS - NATIONAL PARKS Name, location, and year authorized Acreage Outstanding characteristics Acadia ...
- NATIONAL PARKS - NATIONAL PARKS Name, location, and year authorized Acreage Outstanding characteristics Acadia ...
- Mammoth Cave National Park - Mammoth Cave National Park Mammoth Cave National Park, 52,830 acres (21,396 hectares), central ...
- Mammoth Cave National Park - Mammoth Cave National Park: Definition and Pronunciation
- Grand Canyon - Grand Canyon: Definition and Pronunciation
|
|
