Throughout this week, the UN's World Heritage Committee has been meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to contemplate, among other things, which would be the 50 contenders to add to its list of World Heritage Sites — those places on Earth considered to be of “outstanding universal value to humanity”.
Before this 45th session of the committee, it inscribed about 1,157 sites across 167 countries — 900 cultural, 218 natural and 39 mixed. At the time of writing, that list had expanded by 41, with deliberations set to continue until tomorrow (September 25).
New sites of “cultural” value include ancient burial mounds in South Korea, temples in Cambodia, tea forests in China, carved stones in Mongolia, a former detention centre in Argentina and several towns in Europe highlighted for their architecture, including Kaunas in Lithuania and Zatec in the Czech Republic.
New natural sites include a fossil-rich island in Canada (Anticosti), Ethiopia's Bale Mountains National Park and Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda.
Several existing heritage sites have been expanded to include new areas, among them Madagascar’s Andrefana Dry Forests and Vietnam’s Cat Ba Archipelago in Ha Long Bay.
Pictured here is another of the new natural sites, an active volcano on the Caribbean island of Martinique is notorious for what is often referred to as “the deadliest volcanic eruption of the 20th century”. Starting in 1902, the event almost wiped out Saint-Pierre, the first permanent French colony on the island, and killed nearly 30,000 people in a few minutes.
Though still classified as active, Pelée has not erupted since 1932 and today it is a popular spot with hikers and climbers for its gently sloping cone filled with ravines and forests.
For Unesco, however, its global significance is based on “its representation of volcanic features, materials and processes”.
It says: “The 1902-1905 eruption is considered a key event for the history of volcanology causing a dramatic impact on St Pierre town, resulting in a tragic loss of life, and a legacy that remains part of the culture of Martinique.”
The site is also home to globally threatened species such as the Martinique volcano frog and the endemic Martinique oriole, a bird.
HOW TO ENTER
To stand a chance of winning R500, tell us the name of the volcano. Email your answer to travelquiz@sundaytimes.co.za before noon on September 27.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- The competition is open to South African residents only.
- Only one entry per person is permissible.
- The same person is not eligible to win within a six-month period.
- The competition closes on September 27 2023 at noon.
- The winner will be chosen via a random draw from all eligible entries received.
- The winner will be notified via email. Their name will be published with the correct answer in the Travel section of the Sunday Times Lifestyle magazine on October 1.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.