UNESCO Sites in the United States
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, is an agency of the United Nations with the avowed mission of building “peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Cultures.” A World Heritage site must be unique in some significant aspect as a geographically and historical point of interest. The sites are as varied as ancient historical ruins, monuments, forests or mountains.
It is always fascinating to visit a site with so great a historical and cultural significance. These are some of the most interesting UNESCO sites in the United States. Many are national parks, others are Monuments, but all are awe inspiring.
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park became a World Heritage Site in 1995, confirming the worldwide significance of its spectacular beauty. There are more than 300 caves in in the region and scientists have surveyed more than 100 in Carlsbad Caverns National Park alone. The cave complex is particularly notable for its many large rooms associated with their unusual method of geologic dissolution. Covering more than 8.2 acres of floor area, the Big Room, shown here, is the largest cave chamber in North America.
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Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is one of the great tourist attractions in the United States. Located in Arizona, its horizontal strata document the geological history of more than 2 billion years. There are traces of human prehistoric human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment throughout the park.
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Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is the largest sub-tropical wilderness reserve in North America. Stradling temperate and sub-tropical America and filled with pockets of both fresh and brackish water, its shallow bays and coastal waters create an array of habitats supporting a large diversity of flora and fauna. Located near the southern reaches of Florida, the Everglades have been called ‘a river of grass’.
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Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The French sculptor Bartholdi, in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel conceived of this towering monument to liberty was a gift from France on the centenary of American independence, a fitting tribute to a nation of people from the world over. The sculpture stands at the entrance to New York Harbor and was often one of the first sites gazed upon by millions of immigrants to the United States.
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Independence Hall
Independence Hall
The Founding Fathers signed both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution here. Independence Hall is located in Philadelphia, between 5th and 6th Streets. Entrance is through a security screening area on Chestnut Street, just west of 5th Street. After passing through security, visitors line up behind Independence Hall for their timed tour.
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Monticello and the University of Virginia
Monticello and the University of Virginia
Mr. Jefferson’s University. A living monument to one of our most gifted and complex Founding Fathers. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, these two sites provide a glimpse into both early American history as well as the modern workings of one of our most important Universities.
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Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo
An ancient site of the Native American tribe of Pueblo people, during the Pre-Columbian era. It is approximately one mile from the city of Taos, New Mexico and is one of the oldest continually inhabited communities in the United States.
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Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
The world’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park covers over 2.2 million acres. More than half of the world’s active geysers are here, along with wildlife like bear, elk, wolves, mountain lion and bison. Yellowstone Lake is a large, high-elevation lake and sits atop the Yellowstone Caldera, a large supervolcano, the largest in North America.
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