World Heritage Identification Number: 1326
World Heritage since: 2010
Category: Mixed Cultural Heritage and Natural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇺🇸 United States of America
Continent: Americas
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Papahānaumokuākea: A Unique and Significant Marine Protected Area
Papahānaumokuākea, officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, is a remarkable marine national monument located approximately 250 kilometers northwest of the main Hawaiian Archipelago. Spanning over 1931 kilometers, this expansive region includes ten small, low-lying islands and atolls, along with their surrounding ocean, making it one of the largest marine protected areas (MPAs) globally.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Papahānaumokuākea is a vast and isolated linear cluster of small, low lying islands and atolls, with their surrounding ocean, roughly 250 km to the northwest of the main Hawaiian Archipelago and extending over some 1931 km. The area has deep cosmological and traditional significance for living Native Hawaiian culture, as an ancestral environment, as an embodiment of the Hawaiian concept of kinship between people and the natural world, and as the place where it is believed that life originates and to where the spirits return after death. On two of the islands, Nihoa and Makumanamana, there are archaeological remains relating to pre-European settlement and use. Much of the monument is made up of pelagic and deepwater habitats, with notable features such as seamounts and submerged banks, extensive coral reefs and lagoons. It is one of the largest marine protected areas (MPAs) in the world.
Encyclopedia Record: Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is a World Heritage listed U.S. national monument encompassing 583,000 square miles (1,510,000 km2) of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It was created in June 2006 with 140,000 square miles (360,000 km2) and expanded in August 2016 by moving its border to the limit of the exclusive economic zone, making it one of the world's largest protected areas. It is internationally known for its cultural and natural values as follows: The area has deep cosmological and traditional significance for living Native Hawaiian culture, as an ancestral environment, as an embodiment of the Hawaiian concept of kinship between people and the natural world, and as the place where it is believed that life originates and to where the spirits return after death. On two of the islands, Nīhoa and Mokumanamana, there are archaeological remains relating to pre-European settlement and use. Much of the monument is made up of pelagic and deepwater habitats, with notable features such as seamounts and submerged banks, extensive coral reefs and lagoons.Additional Site Details
Area: 36,207,499 hectares
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
(viii) — Outstanding example representing major earth stages
(ix) — Outstanding example representing ecological and biological processes
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity
Coordinates: 25.34907 , -170.14582
Image
Claire Fackler, CINMS, NOAA., Public domain
