World Heritage Identification Number: 1707
World Heritage since: 2024
Category: Mixed Cultural Heritage and Natural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇫🇷 France
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Unveiling the Rich History and Biodiversity of Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands, officially known as Te Henua Enata, are a unique and captivating collection of volcanic islands located in the remote South Pacific Ocean. This remarkable archipelago, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024, offers a fascinating blend of cultural heritage, natural beauty, and extraordinary biodiversity.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Located in the South Pacific Ocean, this mixed serial property bears an exceptional testimony to the territorial occupation of the Marquesas archipelago by a human civilisation that arrived by sea around the year 1000 CE and developed on these isolated islands between the 10th and the 19th centuries. It is also a hotspot of biodiversity that combines irreplaceable and exceptionally well conserved marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Marked by sharp ridges, impressive peaks and cliffs rising abruptly above the ocean, the landscapes of the archipelago are unparalleled in these tropical latitudes. The archipelago is a major centre of endemism, home to rare and diverse flora, a diversity of emblematic marine species, and one of the most diverse seabird assemblages in the South Pacific. Virtually free from human exploitation, Marquesan waters are among the world’s last marine wilderness areas. The property also includes archaeological sites ranging from monumental dry-stone structures to lithic sculptures and engravings.
Encyclopedia Record: Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. Their highest point is the peak of Mount Oave on Ua Pou island, at 1,230 m (4,035 ft) above sea level.Additional Site Details
Area: 345,749 hectares
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
(vii) — Contains superlative natural phenomena or beauty
(ix) — Outstanding example representing ecological and biological processes
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity
Coordinates: -7.9698944444 , -140.6460475
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© Sémhur ·✉·✍·, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
