Colombia 
 
 Criteria: (iii)(ix)(x) 
 
 
 
 Chiribiquete National Park, the largest protected area in Colombia, is the confluence point of four biogeographical provinces: Orinoquia, Guyana, Amazonia, and North Andes. As such, the National Park guarantees the connectivity and preservation of the biodiversity of these provinces, constituting itself as an interaction scenario in which flora and fauna diversity and endemism have flourished. One of the defining features of Chiribiquete is the presence of tepuis (table-top mountains), sheer-sided sandstone plateaux that outstand in the forest and result in dramatic scenery that is reinforced by its remoteness, inaccessibility and exceptional conservation. Over 75,000 figures have been made by indigenous people on the walls of the 60 rock shelters from 20,000 BCE, and are still made nowadays by the uncontacted peoples protected by the National Park. These paintings depict hunting scenes, battles, dances and ceremonies, as well as fauna and flora species, with a particular the worship of the jaguar, a symbol of power and fertility. The indigenous communities, which are not directly present on the site, consider Chiribiquete as a sacred place that cannot be visited and that should be preserved unaltered. ||||| Mysterious stone spheres dot the Pre-Colombian Chiefdom Settlements of the Diquis in Costa Rica, which is now a World Heritage site. 
 
 Enigmatic archaeological sites in Costa Rica dotted with mysterious stone spheres are among six new spots newly designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 
 
 The stone sphere sites, on the Diquis Delta in southern Costa Rica, join places like the Great Wall of China and Yellowstone National Park on the list of 1,007 sites designated as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The organization lists places that are "of outstanding universal value," based on criteria such as representing a masterpiece of creative genius, recording testimony of a vanished civilization, or containing exceptional natural beauty. 
 
 The U.N.'s World Heritage Committee, currently meeting in Doha, Qatar, announced the additions to the list today (June 23). Other than the Diquis Delta sites, the new honorees include the architectural remnants of a medieval Eurasian city, spectacular landscapes in Vietnam and India, a wildlife sanctuary in the Philippines and a site offering geological evidence of the meteorite collision that killed off the dinosaurs. [See Photos of the New World Heritage Sites] 
 
 The new sites are: 
 
 1. Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex, the Russian Federation: Along the banks of the Volga River, south of Kazan, Tatarstan, is an archaeological site containing the remnants of the medieval city of Bolgar. Built in the seventh century by a civilization called the Volga-Bolgars, Bolgar remained an important town until the 15th century, according to UNESCO. In the 1200s, it was the capital of the Golden Horde, the northwestern region of the Mongol Empire. The Volga-Bolgars converted to Islam in A.D. 922, and the site remains a destination for pilgrimages by Tatar Muslims today. 
 
 2. Pre-Colombian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquis, Costa Rica: Consisting of four archaeological sites in the Diquis Delta, this new site encompasses the archaeological remains of human civilization before Europeans arrived in Costa Rica. The sites date to between A.D. 500 and 1500 and include burial sites, paved areas and mounds, according to UNESCO. Most intriguing, however, are the stone spheres that dot the sites. These spheres range in size from 2.3 feet to 8.4 feet (0.7 to 2.57 meters) in diameter, and many remain in the locations where they were placed centuries ago. No one knows how the stones were made — or why. [The 7 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth] 
 
 3. Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Vietnam: The stunning landscape on the south side of the Red River delta in Vietnam earned this area a place on the UNESCO list. Dramatic limestone peaks and mountainside caves define this region of so-called karst topography. (Karst landscapes are formed when easily dissolvable rocks such as limestone erode into impressive shapes, typically pockmarked with caves.) The caves contain artifacts of human settlement dating back 30,000 years. Today, the site also includes Hoa Lu, the capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries, as well as villages, temples and farms. 
 
 The Great Himalayan National Park in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh was inscribed in June 2014 as a World Heritage site. Credit: © IUCN/Graeme Worboys 
 
 4. Great Himalayan National Park, India: This national park in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is rich in both beauty and biodiversity. Located in the western Himalayan Mountains, the park's landscapes include low, wet plains, high, dry deserts, mountain peaks and major rivers. Threatened species, including the endangered snow leopard and red-headed vulture, call this park home. This site is extremely important for biodiversity conservation, according to UNESCO. 
 
 5. Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Philippines: The iconic Philippine eagle and the striking white-and-red Philippine cockatoo make their homes in this species-rich sanctuary, which runs north-south along the Pujada Peninsula of the Philippines. At least 11 endangered vertebrates live in the range, along with dozens of species that can be found nowhere else on Earth. 
 
 6. Stevns Klint, Denmark: The striking white chalk cliffs on Denmark's island of Zealand aren't just beautiful. They're paleontological wonders. These cliffs are made of rocks set down at the end of the Cretaceous and the beginning of the Tertiary 65 million years ago. A layer of ash likely marks the spot in time when a meteorite crashed half a world away in Mexico, filling the atmosphere with sun-obscuring dust and probably killing off the dinosaurs. This 9-mile-long (15 km) stretch of cliffs is the longest, best-exposed geological site showing this boundary between eras, according to UNESCO. 
 
 In addition to the six new sites, UNESCO expanded three existing World Heritage sites. These expanded regions include the South China Karst site, which will now be 124 acres (50,000 hectares) larger. This site, on the list since 2007, encompasses a stunning karst landscape in four provinces in southern China. 
 
 The second extension was granted to the Białowieża Forest on the border of Belarus and Poland, which has been a World Heritage Site since 1979. Here, primary forest provides shelter for the European bison, which was once hunted to extinction in the wild. Now reintroduced, the bison is Europe's largest land animal. 
 
 Finally, UNESCO extended the Dutch and German Wadden Sea World Heritage Site, which has been on the list since 2009. This expanse of wetlands and mud flats sits in the southeastern North Sea and is home to hundreds of thousands of birds, as well as seals and other species. 
 
 Editor's Note: If you have an amazing World Heritage Site photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Jeanna Bryner at LSphotos@livescience.com. 
 
 Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitterand Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook& Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| A vast wetland in Botswana, a prehistoric cave in France and an ancient land formation in the US are among a host of new sites that have been added to the Unesco world heritage list over the last few days, pushing the total number to 1,007. 
 
 The Okavango Delta in Botswana became the 1,000th site to be inscribed on the UN cultural agency's coveted list, which has been active since 1978 and commands strict rules for conservation from host nations. Botswana's unique inland delta, which does not flow into a sea, was described by Unesco as "an exceptional example of the interaction between climatic, hydrological and biological processes … home to some of the world's most endangered species of large mammal." 
 
 Its addition comes after almost a decade of advocacy from conservationists and scientific researchers. Speaking to the Guardian, Dr Steve Boyes, scientific director of the Wild Bird Trust who has worked as a wilderness guide in the Okavango, described the news as highly important, but "long overdue". 
 
 "The region has Africa's largest elephant population and is considered a sanctuary for white and black rhinoceros," he says. "The listing will serve as a celebration of this unique wilderness as well as a call to action. All of this will be for nothing if Angola or Namibia decide to develop dams, weirs and mines along the Okavango river – so now begins the much bigger job of preserving the unprotected Angolan catchment. By 2025, we will know whether the Okavango Delta will survive into the distant future." 
 
 A cave drawing in the Grotte Chauvet in Ardeche, France. Photograph: Inocybe/Wikimedia Commons 
 
 The Grotte Chauvet in the Ardeche, France – home to the earliest known and best preserved figurative drawings in the world and described as an "exceptional testimony of prehistoric art" – was also added to the list. The cave, which remained cut off by a rockfall for 20,000 years until its discovery in 1994, contains over 1,000 images dating back to the Aurignacian period (30,000-32,000 years ago). While the closely guarded cave is off-limits to visitors, a replica is due to open in 2015. 
 
 "Its state of preservation and authenticity is exceptional as a result of its concealment over 23 millennia," Unesco said. 
 
 Other inclusions, which consist of both cultural and natural sites, are the vineyard landscape of Piedmont in Italy, which has been a historic site for wine making since the fifth century BC, a series of properties in the city of Bursa, Turkey, that demonstrate the social and economic functions of the Ottoman empire, and the Great Himalayan national park, a stunning yet fragile ecosystem that is home to many endangered species and will now receive close monitoring and observation of its biodiversity. 
 
 The vineyard region of Piedmont, Italy was added to the Unesco list. Photograph: Alamy 
 
 Burma made its entry on to the list for the first time when the Pyu ancient cities were awarded heritage status. The trio of brick, walled and moated cities of Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra include excavated palace citadels and burial grounds as well as monumental brick Buddhist stupas. 
 
 Another notable addition is the prehistoric earthworks of Poverty Point in Louisiana, USA. The complex of ancient mounds and ridges were created for residential and ceremonial purposes between 3,700 and 3,100BC. The site was praised by Unesco as: "A remarkable achievement in earthen construction in North America that was not surpassed for at least 2,000 years." 
 
 The decision, which was welcomed by the US Department of State, comes a year after the US lost its Unesco voting rights along with Israel. The US has had far less influence over Unesco decisions since withdrawing its financial contributions to the organisation in 2011 after the Palestinian government was granted full membership. 
 
 A chalk cave in Bet Guvrin, Israel. Photograph: Alamy 
 
 Both Israel and Palestine had sites added to the list this week. The Palestinian village of Battir and its "cultural landscape" – currently under threat from the Israeli separation barrier – was added to the list on Friday, while the caves of Maresha and Bet Guvrin in Israel, an area of vast chalk caves in the Judean lowlands, gained world heritage status on Sunday. 
 
 Other sites awarded Unesco world heritage status this year include Qhapaq Nan, a vast Inca road system in Peru, and the fossil rich coastal cliff site of Stevns Kilt in Denmark, which offers "exceptional evidence of the impact of the Chicxulub meteorite that crashed into the planet about 65 millions years ago." 
 
 In order to be selected for the list, sites must be considered of outstanding universal value. Cultural sites are judged against a set of criteria such as whether it represents "a masterpiece of human creative genius" while the criteria for natural sites includes whether it "contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty". 
 
 More sites are expected to be added over the next two days as delegates at the world heritage committee work their way through the 40 sites up for consideration for special status during the organisation's 38th session held in Doha, Qatar. ||||| Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world’s heritage. What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located. 
 
 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. 
 
 Mission 
 
 UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to ||||| 
 
 
 
 New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Image 1 of 29 
 
 Image 1 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Gallo Images Turkey: The ancient city of Pergamon near modern-day Bergama was a center of Hellenist learning and capital of the Roman province of Asia. Its "multi-layered cultural landscape," noted by UNESCO, includes remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Image 1 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Turkey: The ancient city of Pergamon near modern-day Bergama was a center of Hellenist learning and capital of the Roman province of Asia. Its "multi-layered cultural landscape," noted by UNESCO, includes remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. 
 
 Turkey: The ancient city of Pergamon near...modern-day Bergama was a center of Hellenist learning and capital of...the Roman province of Asia. Its "multi-layered cultural landscape,"...noted by UNESCO, includes remains from the Roman, Byzantine and...Ottoman empires. 
 
 Image 2 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 eden2013 Philippines: The Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary along the Pujada Peninsula of Mindanao includes endangered plant and animal species such as the Philippine eagle and cockatoo. Image 2 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Philippines: The Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary along the Pujada Peninsula of Mindanao includes endangered plant and animal species such as the Philippine eagle and cockatoo. 
 
 Philippines: The Mount Hamiguitan Range...Wildlife Sanctuary along the Pujada Peninsula of Mindanao includes...endangered plant and animal species such as the Philippine eagle and...cockatoo. 
 
 Image 3 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Silk Roads, Asia: The 3,100-mile network of the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor through China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has its origins in the 2nd century B.C. It remained in use through the 16th century, passing through or near significant sites such as China's Bingling Cave-Temple Complex (pictured). Image 3 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Silk Roads, Asia: The 3,100-mile network of the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor through China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has its origins in the 2nd century B.C. It remained in use through the 16th century, passing through or near significant sites such as China's Bingling Cave-Temple Complex (pictured). 
 
 Silk Roads, Asia: The 3,100-mile network of the Chang'an-Tianshan...Corridor through China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has its origins...in the 2nd century B.C. It remained in use through the 16th century,...passing through or near significant sites such as China's Bingling...Cave-Temple Complex (pictured). 
 
 Image 4 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Andean countries: The ancient Incan road system known as Qhapaq Ñan, seen here in Peru at the Soledad de Tambo archaeological site, covers some 18,600 miles from the peaks of the Andes to the Pacific, including sites in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Image 4 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Andean countries: The ancient Incan road system known as Qhapaq Ñan, seen here in Peru at the Soledad de Tambo archaeological site, covers some 18,600 miles from the peaks of the Andes to the Pacific, including sites in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 
 
 Andean countries: The ancient Incan road system known as Qhapaq Ñan, seen here...in Peru at the Soledad de Tambo archaeological site, covers some...18,600 miles from the peaks of the Andes to the Pacific, including...sites in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 
 
 Image 5 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Germany: The Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey, built between 822 and 885 A.D. near Hoexter, form one of the most important expressions of Carolingian architecture, according to UNESCO. Image 5 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Germany: The Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey, built between 822 and 885 A.D. near Hoexter, form one of the most important expressions of Carolingian architecture, according to UNESCO. 
 
 Germany: The Carolingian Westwork and...Civitas Corvey, built between 822 and 885 A.D. near Hoexter, form...one of the most important expressions of Carolingian architecture,...according to UNESCO. 
 
 Image 6 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Botswana: The Okavango Delta in the country's northwest is renowned for large mammals, including cheetahs, rhinoceroses, lions and others attracted by its annual flooding during an otherwise dry season. Image 6 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Botswana: The Okavango Delta in the country's northwest is renowned for large mammals, including cheetahs, rhinoceroses, lions and others attracted by its annual flooding during an otherwise dry season. 
 
 Botswana: The Okavango Delta in the...country's northwest is renowned for large mammals, including cheetahs,...rhinoceroses, lions and others attracted by its annual flooding...during an otherwise dry season. 
 
 Image 7 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Aurora Creative Mexico: The ancient Mayan city of Calakmul in Campeche was already a World Heritage Site, but it has now been expanded to include the tropical forest of Tierras Bajas, part of the world's third largest biodiversity "hot spot." Image 7 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Mexico: The ancient Mayan city of Calakmul in Campeche was already a World Heritage Site, but it has now been expanded to include the tropical forest of Tierras Bajas, part of the world's third largest biodiversity "hot spot." 
 
 Mexico: The ancient Mayan city of Calakmul in Campeche was...already a World Heritage Site, but it has now been expanded to...include the tropical forest of Tierras Bajas, part of the world's...third largest biodiversity "hot spot." 
 
 Image 8 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Louisiana: A society of hunter-fisher-gatherers living between 3700 and 3100 B.C. created a series of five earthen mounds and six concentric, semi-elliptical ridges known as the Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point, named for a nearby 19th century plantation. Already a national monument, the 910-acre site in the northeastern part of the state is considered a spectacular feat of engineering as well as the largest such ceremonial site in North America. Pictured: Mound A, believed to have been built with more than 311,000 cubic yards of fill. Image 8 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Louisiana: A society of hunter-fisher-gatherers living between 3700 and 3100 B.C. created a series of five earthen mounds and six concentric, semi-elliptical ridges known as the Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point, named for a nearby 19th century plantation. Already a national monument, the 910-acre site in the northeastern part of the state is considered a spectacular feat of engineering as well as the largest such ceremonial site in North America. Pictured: Mound A, believed to have been built with more than 311,000 cubic yards of fill. 
 
 Louisiana: A society of hunter-fisher-gatherers living between...3700 and 3100 B.C. created a series of five earthen mounds and six ...concentric, semi-elliptical ridges known as the Monumental Earthworks of...Poverty Point, named for a nearby 19th century plantation. Already...a national monument, the...910-acre site in the northeastern part of the state is considered a...spectacular feat of engineering as well as the largest such ceremonial...site in North America. Pictured: Mound A, believed to have been built...with more than 311,000 cubic yards of fill. 
 
 Image 9 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Flickr RF Wadden Sea, Northern Europe: The existing World Heritage Site of the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands and Germany has been expanded in those countries and now also includes most of Denmark's maritime conservation area. UNESCO calls the sea "the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world." Image 9 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Wadden Sea, Northern Europe: The existing World Heritage Site of the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands and Germany has been expanded in those countries and now also includes most of Denmark's maritime conservation area. UNESCO calls the sea "the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world." 
 
 Wadden Sea, Northern Europe: The existing World Heritage Site...of the Wadden Sea in...the Netherlands and Germany has been expanded in those countries and...now also includes most of Denmark's maritime conservation area....UNESCO calls the sea "the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand...and mud flats in the world." 
 
 Image 10 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images Japan: Established in 1872 in Gunma Prefecture, the Tomioka Silk Mill , seen in 2008, and related sites were heralded by UNESCO as Japan's entry "into the modern, industrialized era," helping the country become the leading exporter of raw silk in the late 19th century. Image 10 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Japan: Established in 1872 in Gunma Prefecture, the Tomioka Silk Mill , seen in 2008, and related sites were heralded by UNESCO as Japan's entry "into the modern, industrialized era," helping the country become the leading exporter of raw silk in the late 19th century. 
 
 Japan: Established in 1872 in Gunma Prefecture, the Tomioka Silk Mill , seen...in 2008, and related sites were heralded by UNESCO as Japan's entry..."into the modern, industrialized era," helping the country become the...leading exporter of raw silk in the late 19th century. 
 
 Image 11 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Imagebroker RF France: The earliest known drawings in the world are found in Ardeche in the decorated grotto of Pont d'Arc, also known as Grotte-Chauvet-Pont d'Arc. Image 11 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 France: The earliest known drawings in the world are found in Ardeche in the decorated grotto of Pont d'Arc, also known as Grotte-Chauvet-Pont d'Arc. 
 
 France: The earliest known drawings in the world are found in...Ardeche in the decorated...grotto of Pont d'Arc, also known as Grotte-Chauvet-Pont d'Arc. 
 
 Image 12 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Flickr RM India: On the banks of the Saraswati River in Patan, Gujarat, Rani-ki-Vav, also known as the Queen's Stepwell, is an elaborate, inverted water temple and reservoir. It was built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century, with more than 500 principal sculptures and 1,000 minor ones, per UNESCO. Image 12 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 India: On the banks of the Saraswati River in Patan, Gujarat, Rani-ki-Vav, also known as the Queen's Stepwell, is an elaborate, inverted water temple and reservoir. It was built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century, with more than 500 principal sculptures and 1,000 minor ones, per UNESCO. 
 
 India: On the banks of the Saraswati River in Patan, Gujarat, ...Rani-ki-Vav, also...known as the Queen's Stepwell, is an elaborate, inverted water temple...and reservoir. It was built as a memorial to a king in the 11th...century, with more than 500 principal sculptures and 1,000 minor...ones, per UNESCO. 
 
 Image 13 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 AFP/Getty Images Palestine: The "cultural landscape" of Southern Jerusalem, Battir, described by UNESCO as the "Land of Olive and Vines," was simultaneously inscribed on the agency's World Heritage List and its List of World Heritage in Danger. Palestinian farmers from Battir can work in their fields by crossing a railway line but access to their land is under threat by Israel, which has started to build a wall of separation through Battir. Image 13 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Palestine: The "cultural landscape" of Southern Jerusalem, Battir, described by UNESCO as the "Land of Olive and Vines," was simultaneously inscribed on the agency's World Heritage List and its List of World Heritage in Danger. Palestinian farmers from Battir can work in their fields by crossing a railway line but access to their land is under threat by Israel, which has started to build a wall of separation through Battir. 
 
 Palestine: The "cultural landscape" of Southern Jerusalem,...Battir, described by UNESCO as the "Land of Olive and...Vines," was simultaneously inscribed on the agency's World...Heritage List and its List of World Heritage in Danger. Palestinian...farmers from Battir can work in their fields by crossing a railway...line but access to their land is under threat by Israel, which has...started to build a wall of separation through Battir. 
 
 Image 14 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Burma (Myanmar): The three brick, walled, moated cities of Halin, Beikthano and Sri Kestra, known as the Pyu Ancient Cities, were part of the Pyu Kingdoms that flourished between 200 B.C. and 900 A.D. They include monumental brick stupas such as the Be Be Stupa at Sri Kestra (pictured). Image 14 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Burma (Myanmar): The three brick, walled, moated cities of Halin, Beikthano and Sri Kestra, known as the Pyu Ancient Cities, were part of the Pyu Kingdoms that flourished between 200 B.C. and 900 A.D. They include monumental brick stupas such as the Be Be Stupa at Sri Kestra (pictured). 
 
 Burma (Myanmar): The three brick, walled, moated cities of...Halin, Beikthano and Sri Kestra, known as the Pyu Ancient Cities, were...part of the Pyu Kingdoms that flourished between 200 B.C. and 900 A.D....They include monumental brick stupas such as the Be Be Stupa at Sri...Kestra (pictured). 
 
 Image 15 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley Italy: Containing five different wine-growing areas and the Castle of Cavour, the "Vineyard Landscape of the Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato" has a history of viticulture reaching back to the 5th century B.C. Pictured: Vineyards and countryside in San Damiano, part of the Monferrato region. Image 15 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Italy: Containing five different wine-growing areas and the Castle of Cavour, the "Vineyard Landscape of the Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato" has a history of viticulture reaching back to the 5th century B.C. Pictured: Vineyards and countryside in San Damiano, part of the Monferrato region. 
 
 Italy: Containing five different wine-growing areas and the...Castle of Cavour, the "Vineyard Landscape of the...Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato" has a history of...viticulture reaching back to the 5th century B.C. Pictured: Vineyards...and countryside in San Damiano, part of the Monferrato region. 
 
 Image 16 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Flickr Open Denmark: The nearly 10-mile-long Stevns Klint (Stevns Cliff) is rife with fossils that show the gradual recovery of fauna after a mass extinction caused by a meteorite crash some 65 million years ago. Image 16 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Denmark: The nearly 10-mile-long Stevns Klint (Stevns Cliff) is rife with fossils that show the gradual recovery of fauna after a mass extinction caused by a meteorite crash some 65 million years ago. 
 
 Denmark: The nearly 10-mile-long Stevns Klint (Stevns...Cliff) is rife with fossils that show the gradual recovery of fauna...after a mass extinction caused by a meteorite crash some 65 million...years ago. 
 
 Image 17 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Russia: The Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex, found on the Volga River south of Kazan in Tatarstan, includes the remains of the medieval city of Bolgar, the 13th century capital of the "Golden Horde." It is considered a sacred site for pilgrimage by Muslim Tatars. Image 17 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Russia: The Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex, found on the Volga River south of Kazan in Tatarstan, includes the remains of the medieval city of Bolgar, the 13th century capital of the "Golden Horde." It is considered a sacred site for pilgrimage by Muslim Tatars. 
 
 Russia: The Bolgar...Historical and Archaeological Complex, found on the Volga River...south of Kazan in Tatarstan, includes the remains of the medieval city...of Bolgar, the 13th century capital of the "Golden Horde." It is ...considered a sacred site for pilgrimage by Muslim Tatars. 
 
 Image 18 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images India: The Great Himalayan National Park in the western part of the mountains in the northern province of Himachal Pradesh is a biodiversity "hot spot," home to rivers, meadows and 25 kinds of forest. Image 18 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 India: The Great Himalayan National Park in the western part of the mountains in the northern province of Himachal Pradesh is a biodiversity "hot spot," home to rivers, meadows and 25 kinds of forest. 
 
 India: The Great...Himalayan National Park in the western part of the mountains in...the northern province of Himachal Pradesh is a biodiversity "hot...spot," home to rivers, meadows and 25 kinds of forest. 
 
 Image 19 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images Saudi Arabia: Known as the Gate to Makkah (Mecca), historic Jeddah has been a major Indian Ocean port since the 7th century A.D. as well as a later gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. Image 19 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Saudi Arabia: Known as the Gate to Makkah (Mecca), historic Jeddah has been a major Indian Ocean port since the 7th century A.D. as well as a later gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. 
 
 Saudi Arabia: Known as the Gate to Makkah (Mecca), historic Jeddah has...been a major Indian Ocean port since the 7th century A.D. as well as a...later gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. 
 
 Image 20 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images Iraq: Built over many centuries on the site of the former Assyrian center of Arbela, Erbil Citadel remains an Imposing sight in the Kurdistan region. Image 20 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Iraq: Built over many centuries on the site of the former Assyrian center of Arbela, Erbil Citadel remains an Imposing sight in the Kurdistan region. 
 
 Iraq: Built over many centuries on the site of the former...Assyrian center of Arbela, Erbil Citadel remains an...Imposing sight in the Kurdistan region. 
 
 Image 21 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images China: An expansion of the South China Karst World Heritage Site has added 193 square miles of spectacular karst formations, including pinnacles, natural bridges and large caves. Image 21 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 China: An expansion of the South China Karst World Heritage Site has added 193 square miles of spectacular karst formations, including pinnacles, natural bridges and large caves. 
 
 China: An expansion of the South China Karst World...Heritage Site has added 193 square miles of spectacular karst...formations, including pinnacles, natural bridges and large caves. 
 
 Image 22 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 AFP/Getty Images Costa Rica: Found in the Diquis delta in the southern part of the country, the pre-Columbian chiefdom settlements with stone spheres are "unique examples of the complex social, economic and political systems of the period between 500-1500 A.D.," according to UNESCO. Pictured: These mysterious stone spheres, some weighing several tons, were found in Palmar Sur, in the Diquis delta, before being exhibited at the National Museum in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose in 2007. Image 22 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Costa Rica: Found in the Diquis delta in the southern part of the country, the pre-Columbian chiefdom settlements with stone spheres are "unique examples of the complex social, economic and political systems of the period between 500-1500 A.D.," according to UNESCO. Pictured: These mysterious stone spheres, some weighing several tons, were found in Palmar Sur, in the Diquis delta, before being exhibited at the National Museum in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose in 2007. 
 
 Costa Rica: Found in the Diquis delta in the southern part of...the country, the ...pre-Columbian chiefdom settlements with stone spheres are "unique...examples of the complex social, economic and political systems of the ...period between 500-1500 A.D.," according to UNESCO. Pictured: These ...mysterious stone spheres, some weighing several tons, were found in...Palmar Sur, in the Diquis delta, before being exhibited at the...National Museum in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose in 2007. 
 
 Image 23 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images Vietam: Chosen for both its natural and cultural significance, the Trang An Landscape Complex includes striking peaks of limestone karst (pictured) as well as caves, scenic waterways, rice paddies and Hoa Lu, the country's capital in the 10th and 11th centuries. Image 23 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Vietam: Chosen for both its natural and cultural significance, the Trang An Landscape Complex includes striking peaks of limestone karst (pictured) as well as caves, scenic waterways, rice paddies and Hoa Lu, the country's capital in the 10th and 11th centuries. 
 
 Vietam: Chosen for both its natural and cultural significance,...the Trang An Landscape...Complex includes striking peaks of limestone karst (pictured) as...well as caves, scenic waterways, rice paddies and Hoa Lu, the...country's capital in the 10th and 11th centuries. 
 
 Image 24 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 De Agostini/Getty Images Poland and Belarus: First inscribed on UNESCO's list in 1979, the World Heritage Site of Bialowieza Forest has had its boundaries greatly expanded by more than 228 square miles on the Polish side, with a slight reduction on the Belarussian side. The new inscription covers 548 square miles of the forest, on the watershed of the Black and Baltic seas. Image 24 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Poland and Belarus: First inscribed on UNESCO's list in 1979, the World Heritage Site of Bialowieza Forest has had its boundaries greatly expanded by more than 228 square miles on the Polish side, with a slight reduction on the Belarussian side. The new inscription covers 548 square miles of the forest, on the watershed of the Black and Baltic seas. 
 
 Poland and Belarus: First inscribed on UNESCO's list in 1979,...the World Heritage Site of ...Bialowieza Forest has had its boundaries greatly expanded by more...than 228 square miles on the Polish side, with a slight reduction on...the Belarussian side. The new inscription covers 548 square miles of...the forest, on the watershed of the Black and Baltic seas. 
 
 Image 25 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Flickr RF Korea: Dating back to the 7th century, and an emergency capital for the Joson Dynasty (1392-1910), the city of Namhansanseong has become "a symbol of Korean sovereignty," according to UNESCO. Image 25 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Korea: Dating back to the 7th century, and an emergency capital for the Joson Dynasty (1392-1910), the city of Namhansanseong has become "a symbol of Korean sovereignty," according to UNESCO. 
 
 Korea: Dating back to the 7th century, and an emergency capital...for the Joson Dynasty (1392-1910), the city of Namhansanseong has...become "a symbol of Korean sovereignty," according to UNESCO. 
 
 Image 26 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images Turkey: Along with eight sites in the nearby city of Bursa, the village of Cumalikizik (pictured) was inscribed for its role in founding the Ottoman Empire in the early 14th century. Image 26 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Turkey: Along with eight sites in the nearby city of Bursa, the village of Cumalikizik (pictured) was inscribed for its role in founding the Ottoman Empire in the early 14th century. 
 
 Turkey: Along with eight sites in the nearby city of Bursa, the...village of Cumalikizik (pictured)...was inscribed for its role in founding the Ottoman Empire in the early...14th century. 
 
 Image 27 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images Israel: Originally excavated as quarries, the caves below the ancient cities of Maresha and Bet Guvrin became "cities under a city," housing olive presses (pictured), stables, baths, temples, dovecotes and cisterns, among other uses. Image 27 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Israel: Originally excavated as quarries, the caves below the ancient cities of Maresha and Bet Guvrin became "cities under a city," housing olive presses (pictured), stables, baths, temples, dovecotes and cisterns, among other uses. 
 
 Israel: Originally excavated as quarries, the caves below the ancient...cities of Maresha and Bet Guvrin became "cities under a city,"...housing olive presses (pictured), stables, baths, temples, dovecotes...and cisterns, among other uses. 
 
 Image 28 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 AFP/Getty Images Netherlands: Designed by Dutch architect Leendert van der Vlugt, the Van Nelle Factory (Van Nellefabriek) was built from 1925 to 1931 in Rotterdam and today houses between 50 to 70 small to medium-sized businesses. UNESCO calls it "one of the icons of 20th century industrial architecture." Image 28 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Netherlands: Designed by Dutch architect Leendert van der Vlugt, the Van Nelle Factory (Van Nellefabriek) was built from 1925 to 1931 in Rotterdam and today houses between 50 to 70 small to medium-sized businesses. UNESCO calls it "one of the icons of 20th century industrial architecture." 
 
 Netherlands: Designed by Dutch architect Leendert van der...Vlugt, the Van Nelle...Factory (Van Nellefabriek) was built from 1925 to 1931 in...Rotterdam and today houses between 50 to 70 small to medium-sized...businesses. UNESCO calls it "one of the icons of 20th century...industrial architecture." 
 
 Image 29 of 29 | New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery China: Begun in sections in the 5th century B.C., the Grand Canal became a means of imperial communication in the 7th century A.D., when expansion made it "the world’s largest and most extensive civil engineering project prior to the Industrial Revolution," according to UNESCO. Pictured: Barges ply the Grand Canal in Suzhou, Jiangsu. Image 29 of 29 - New, expanded World Heritage sites for 2014 China: Begun in sections in the 5th century B.C., the Grand Canal became a means of imperial communication in the 7th century A.D., when expansion made it "the world’s largest and most extensive civil engineering project prior to the Industrial Revolution," according to UNESCO. Pictured: Barges ply the Grand Canal in Suzhou, Jiangsu.
– The planet now has more than 1,000 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: places "of outstanding value to humanity" that UNESCO helps to safeguard and preserve. The World Heritage Committee wrapped up its 38th session on Wednesday by adding 26 sites to its list and expanding four more; that list now clocks in at 1,007 sites, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Number 1,000, the Guardian reports, is Botswana's Okavango Delta, a wetland that's home to elephants and white and black rhinoceroses. Other highlights among the new selections: Four archaeological sites that date to between 500 AD and 1500 AD in the Diquis Delta, Costa Rica, and feature stone spheres whose origins are a mystery, LiveScience reports. France's Grotte Chauvet, site of the world's oldest figurative drawings. The pictures, found in 1994, date back some 30,000 to 32,000 years. The vineyards of Piedmont, Italy, where wine has been made since the fifth century BC. The white cliffs known as Stevns Klint, Denmark. A layer of ash in the cliffs is believed to be tied to a meteorite that made impact off the coast of Mexico and is thought to have killed the dinosaurs. Louisiana's monumental earthworks of Poverty Point, which include five mounds made of earth between 3700 and 3100 BC and mark the 22nd US World Heritage site; their "earthen construction … was not surpassed for at least 2,000 years" in North America, UNESCO said. See the full list here, which also now includes a remarkable road.