World Heritage Identification Number: 898
World Heritage since: 2000
Category: Natural Heritage
WHE Type: Natural Landscapes & Geographic Features
Transboundary Heritage: Yes
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: Finland, Sweden
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
Map
Understanding Post-Glacial Rebound: A Journey Through the High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago
The High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, offers a captivating glimpse into the intricate processes that have shaped the Earth's surface over millennia. Situated in the Gulf of Bothnia, a northern extension of the Baltic Sea, this site encompasses two distinct regions: the High Coast in Sweden and the Kvarken Archipelago in Finland.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Kvarken Archipelago (Finland) and the High Coast (Sweden) are situated in the Gulf of Bothnia, a northern extension of the Baltic Sea. The 5,600 islands of the Kvarken Archipelago feature unusual ridged washboard moraines, ‘De Geer moraines’, formed by the melting of the continental ice sheet, 10,000 to 24,000 years ago. The Archipelago is continuously rising from the sea in a process of rapid glacio-isostatic uplift, whereby the land, previously weighed down under the weight of a glacier, lifts at rates that are among the highest in the world. As a consequence islands appear and unite, peninsulas expand, and lakes evolve from bays and develop into marshes and peat fens. The High Coast has also been largely shaped by the combined processes of glaciation, glacial retreat and the emergence of new land from the sea. Since the last retreat of the ice from the High Coast 9,600 years ago, the uplift has been in the order of 285 m which is the highest known ''rebound''. The site affords outstanding opportunities for the understanding of the important processes that formed the glaciated and land uplift areas of the Earth''s surface.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (viii): The High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago is of exceptional geological value for two main reasons. First, both areas have some of the highest rates of isostatic uplift in the world, meaning that the land still continues to rise in elevation following the retreat of the last inland ice sheet, with around 290 m of land uplift recorded over the past 10,500 years. The uplift is ongoing and is associated with major changes in the water bodies in post-glacial times. This phenomenon was first recognized and studied here, making the property a key area for understanding the processes of crustal response to the melting of the continental ice sheet. Second, the Kvarken Archipelago, with its 5,600 islands and surrounding sea, possesses a distinctive array of glacial depositional formations, such as De Geer moraines, which add to the variety of glacial land- and seascape features in the region. It is a global, exceptional and diverse area for studying moraine archipelagos. The High Coast and the Kvarken Archipelago represent complementary examples of post-glacial uplifting landscapes.
Encyclopedia Record: High Coast
The High Coast is a part of the coast of Sweden on the Gulf of Bothnia, in the Ångermanland province of northeast Sweden, centered in the area of the municipalities of Kramfors, Härnösand and Örnsköldsvik. It is notable as an area for research on post-glacial rebound and eustacy, in which the land rises as the covering glaciers melt, a phenomenon first recognised and studied there. Since the last ice age, the land has risen 300 meters, which accounts for the region's unusually tall cliffs. The High Coast and the Finnish Kvarken constitute the Swedish/Finnish High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its exceptional geology and unique example of isostatic rebound.Additional Site Details
Area: 336,900 hectares
Number of Components: 3
Coordinates: 63.3 , 21.3
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The 2025 Conservation Outlook on High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago reports the following assessment:
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment
Image
© Rialfver, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
-
Assessing the epistemic dimension of people–place relationships for inclusive ecosystem governance
A strong connection between people's knowledge and their emotional bonds to place, termed 'epistemic bonding,' significantly influences perceptions of ecosystem governance. This study found that higher epistemic bonding correlates with long-term residency, family history in the area, and a more negative stance towards official nature protection in Finland. By analyzing survey data from 306 residents of the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site, researchers demonstrated that epistemic bonding is closely tied to place dependence and identity. This concept highlights how diverse ways of knowing shape responses to environmental decision-making, emphasizing the need for inclusive governance that recognizes multiple forms of knowledge.
Hakkarainen, V., Soini, K., & Raymond, C. M. (2025). Assessing the epistemic dimension of people–place relationships for inclusive ecosystem governance. People and Nature, 8(2), 504–523. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70228
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
Place‐embedded agency: Exploring knowledge–place connections for enabling plurality in governance of social–ecological systems
Research on the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site reveals that integrating local knowledge and place-belonging can enhance inclusive governance of social-ecological systems. The study identifies five types of knowledge-place connections, which shape diverse positions on resource management. These connections influence interactions between actors inside and outside formal decision-making processes, highlighting the concept of 'place-embedded agency.' Recognizing this agency can help overcome tensions and promote plurality in governance, fostering more inclusive and effective management strategies.
Hakkarainen, V., Soini, K., Dessein, J., & Raymond, Christopher M. (2022). Place‐embedded agency: Exploring knowledge–place connections for enabling plurality in governance of social–ecological systems. People and Nature, 4(5), 1141–1158. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10365
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
Animated visualization of post-glacial land uplift and shore displacement from modeled paleotopographic reconstructions
A high-quality, automated animation of post-glacial land uplift and shore displacement has been developed for the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering a dynamic visualization of these geodynamic processes from 10,500 years ago to 1000 years in the future. The 4K-resolution, 80-second animation, rendered at 40 fps, simplifies paleotopographic reconstructions while maintaining alignment with geological data. This approach provides an innovative tool for communicating complex geodynamic phenomena, contributing to cartographic representation and educational outreach.
Perheentupa, V., Mäkinen, V., Habicht, H.-L., & Oksanen, J. (2020). Animated visualization of post-glacial land uplift and shore displacement from modeled paleotopographic reconstructions. Applied Computing and Geosciences, 8, 100042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acags.2020.100042
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
Past and Future Sea Level Changes and Land Uplift in the Baltic Sea Seen by Geodetic Observations
In the UNESCO-listed High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago, land uplift reaches up to 10 mm per year, with the terrain rising approximately 80 cm over the past century. This dynamic process, driven by post-glacial rebound, is counterbalancing sea level rise, which future projections suggest could vary significantly—from a potential 75 cm of relative sea level fall (land emergence) to 30 cm of rise by 2100. The study leverages continuous GNSS time series, absolute gravity measurements, and tide gauge data to quantify current uplift rates and probabilistic scenarios for future changes, providing critical insights for understanding geodynamic processes in the Baltic Sea region.
Nordman, M., Peltola, A., Bilker-Koivula, M., & Lahtinen, S. (2020). Past and Future Sea Level Changes and Land Uplift in the Baltic Sea Seen by Geodetic Observations. Beyond 100: The next Century in Geodesy, 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/1345_2020_124
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
Making post-glacial uplift visible: A model based high-resolution animation of shore displacement
A groundbreaking high-resolution animation reveals the dynamic nature of post-glacial uplift and shore displacement in the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage site, where land rises at rates exceeding 8 mm per year. The study employed a mathematical model to transform digital elevation models (DEMs) over ~9300 years, integrating LiDAR-derived DEMs from Finland and Sweden with bathymetric data of the Gulf of Bothnia. By leveraging geophysical uplift rate surfaces and ancient shoreline observations, researchers derived an exponential model that accurately describes the non-linear correlation between elapsed time and land uplift. The animation, rendered at 4K resolution with a five-year interval between frames, provides a visually intuitive representation of this decelerating phenomenon, highlighting regional differences in post-glacial history. While future improvements may include removing post-glacially developed features like rivers, the current model offers unprecedented continuity and clarity in visualizing shore displacement.
Perheentupa, V., Mäkinen, V., & Oksanen, J. (2019). Making post-glacial uplift visible: A model based high-resolution animation of shore displacement. Abstracts of the ICA, 1, 1–2. https://doi.org/10.5194/ica-abs-1-296-2019
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
Solving landscape-related conflicts through transnational learning? The case of transboundary Nordic World Heritage sites
Transnational learning (TNL) can mitigate democratic participation gaps in early stages of UNESCO World Heritage (WH) nomination processes, offering a model for resolving landscape-related conflicts. This study examines the WH sites Laponia and High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago, revealing how TNL facilitates cross-border cooperation among stakeholders despite cultural and legal constraints. The research employs comparative methods and governance theories to analyze challenges in local democratic participation during national and transnational decision-making. It highlights the Nordic tradition of TNL as a tool for incorporating diverse stakeholders into WH governance, demonstrating its potential to bridge gaps between local communities and international conservation efforts.
Svels, K., & Sande, A. (2016). Solving landscape-related conflicts through transnational learning? The case of transboundary Nordic World Heritage sites. Landscape Research, 41(5), 524–537. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2016.1151485
View Publication Record | Read Publication -
World Heritage, Tourism and Community Involvement: A Comparative Study of the High Coast (Sweden) and Kvarken Archipelago (Finland)
Local communities in the High Coast (Sweden) and Kvarken Archipelago (Finland), both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, exhibit predominantly positive attitudes toward tourism development but demonstrate limited understanding of the UNESCO World Heritage concept. While residents in the High Coast region are generally more supportive of increased tourism compared to their counterparts in Kvarken, Finnish authorities show a stronger inclination to leverage World Heritage status for economic benefits than Swedish authorities. The study, based on empirical attitude surveys and focus group interviews, reveals that World Heritage designation alone does not drive regional tourism development but rather fits into broader destination-building efforts. However, collaboration between communities and authorities remains limited and often conflict-laden, suggesting that improved cooperation could enhance the positive image of these sites while supporting sustainable tourism growth.
Svels, K. (2015). World Heritage, Tourism and Community Involvement: A Comparative Study of the High Coast (Sweden) and Kvarken Archipelago (Finland). Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 15(1-2), 183–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250.2015.1009708
View Publication Record | Read Publication