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YAHOO! Travel ² Nov 10, 2010  

World's Newest Natural Wonders

By Sean O'Neill

Each year, the United Nations unveils a list of the world's most stunning natural attractions, calledWorld Heritage sites, and chances are, you've never heard of them³Papahanaumokuakea, anyone?The designation shines the spotlight on a handful of hidden gems, while also protecting them fromman.

Over the past 28 years, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) has identified more than 180 of these natural wonders across 77 countries. These "WorldHeritage Sites" are deemed "unique, irreplaceable, and authentic." The esteemed club includes theGrand Canyon, Mount Everest, and Victoria Falls among other iconic sites. (Manmade landmarks,such as Rome's Colosseum, are counted separately.)

This summer, the UN agency added some particularly picturesque landscapes to its list.

China

China Danxia 

The region known as China Danxia spans six subtropicalareas approximately 310 miles southwest of Xi'an, home ofthe terra-cotta warriors. Red sandstone pillars, ravines, andother fantastical shapes recall Mars more than they dosouthwestern China.

K iribati 

Phoenix Islands Protected Area 

Hundreds of species of fish, mammals, and birds have madetheir home in and around the Phoenix Islands, about 6,000miles northwest of Fiji in the South Pacific. The islandregion is the world's largest marine protected area.

France

Réunion National Park, Réunion Island 

Creole-flavored Réunion Island lies in the southwest IndianOcean approximately 400 miles off the eastern coast ofMadagascar and is towered over by two volcanic peaks.

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 Hawaii 

Papahanaumokuakea 

Preposterously clear lagoons and extensive coral reefsprotect rare marine life around this set of tiny islands and

atolls in northwestern Hawaii (reachable only by charteredplane). Ghost alert! As native tradition has it, spirits returnto this area after death.

Tanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Area 

Zebras, wildebeests, and big cats wander the grass that

covers the enormous crater of the extinct Ngorongorovolcano. The entire Ngorongoro Conservation Area coversover 3,200 square miles and lies to the east of the decidedlymore famous Serengeti National Park. A World Heritage sitesince 1979, Ngorongoro's received an extended designationthis year to also recognize its cultural significance: It'swhere evidence of humanity's distant ancestors wasdiscovered.

Oaxaca province, Mexico

Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla 

Archaeologists discovered the historic cave dwellings withrock art in the central Mexican province of Oaxaca, about340 miles south of Mexico City. In addition to rock art, thecaves are famous for the 10,000-year-old Cucurbubitaceaeseeds and corncob fragments found here³the earliestevidence of domestic plants on the continent.

Russia

Putoransky State Nature Reserve 

This nature reserve is situated more than 62 miles north ofthe Arctic Circle in northern Central Siberia, and is a vitalmigration route for reindeer crossing its tundra and rivers.The Putoransky State Nature Reserve is technically a desertbecause it rains and snows so little here, though snowfalldoes tend to linger owing to the icy temperatures.

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 Sri Lanka 

Central Highlands 

The Sri Lankan leopard, slender loris, and other endangeredanimals roam the Sri Lankan highlands. Their forest habitat

lies over 8,000 feet above sea level on this teardrop-shapedisland off the southern tip of India in the Indian Ocean.

Reading Comprehension / Discussion

1.  What are World Heritage sites?

2.  How many World Heritage sites exist? What organization has identified them?

3.  What is meant by an ´iconicµ site?

4.  Which of the New Natural Wonders is reminiscent of Mars?

5.  Which place on the list is known for supernatural occurrences?6.  Which sites have volcanoes? Are they active or dormant?

7.  What is the significance of the corn fragments found in the caves in Mexico?

8.  How many of these New Natural Wonders are islands?

9.  Which of these places would you most like to visit?

10. Why is it important to establish World Heritage sites?

Video: UNESCO World Heritage with Street View

1.  Why has UNESCO partnered with Google?

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2.  What are some of the different sites you can ´visitµ through Google Maps?

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3.  According to the video, which site has ́ astronomical significanceµ?

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4.  What does Mr. Hepburn (the narrator) say about the significance of World Heritage sites?

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5.  What is UNESCO·s mission? How will Google Maps support this mission?

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