World Heritage Identification Number: 1386
World Heritage since: 2012
Category: Mixed Cultural Heritage and Natural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇵🇼 Palau
Continent: Oceania
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
Map
A Journey Through the Enchanting Rock Islands Southern Lagoon
The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, a mesmerizing expanse of crystal-clear waters teeming with vibrant marine life, lies nestled within the heart of Palau's archipelago. This captivating UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering an impressive 100,200 hectares, is home to 445 uninhabited limestone islands of volcanic origin, each boasting a unique, mushroom-like shape that stands tall amidst the turquoise lagoons surrounded by coral reefs.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Rock Islands Southern Lagoon covers 100,200 ha and includes 445 uninhabited limestone islands of volcanic origin. Many of them display unique mushroom-like shapes in turquoise lagoons surrounded by coral reefs. The aesthetic beauty of the site is heightened by a complex reef system featuring over 385 coral species and different types of habitat. They sustain a large diversity of plants, birds and marine life including dugong and at least thirteen shark species. The site harbours the highest concentration of marine lakes anywhere, isolated bodies of seawater separated from the ocean by land barriers. They are among the islands’ distinctive features and sustain high endemism of populations which continue to yield new species discoveries. The remains of stonework villages, as well as burial sites and rock art, bear testimony to the organization of small island communities over some three millennia. The abandonment of the villages in the 17th and 18th centuries illustrates the consequences of climate change, population growth and subsistence behaviour on a society living in a marginal marine environment.
Encyclopedia Record: Rock Islands
The Rock Islands of Palau, also called Chelbacheb, are a collection of several hundred small limestone or coral uprises in the Southern Lagoon of Palau between Koror and Peleliu, now an incorporated part of Koror State. There are between 250 and 300 islands in the group according to different sources, with an aggregate area of 42 square kilometers (16 sq mi) and a maximum height of 207 meters (679 ft). The islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.Additional Site Details
Area: 100,200 hectares
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
(vii) — Contains superlative natural phenomena or beauty
(ix) — Outstanding example representing ecological and biological processes
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity
Coordinates: 7.246925 , 134.3525
Image
Peter R. Binter (=Binter); The original uploader was Binter at German Wikipedia. (Original text: Peter Binter), Public domain
