What does the Statue of Liberty have in common with the Olympic or Grand Canyon national parks? Well, they were all declared the USA's cultural and natural World Heritage Sites. Among twenty American sites appreciated by UNESCO there are several places of such outstanding beauty or significance that they deserve a separate mention here.
See below the seven most noteworthy World Heritage Sites in the USA:
7.Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park.
This vast, wild and diverse park located in the state of Florida has been called "a river of grass" and "a sanctuary for birds and reptiles". It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979. It is the biggest sub-tropical reserve on the North American continent, and the USA's third largest national park, after Death Valley and Yellowstone national parks.
Many of the threatened species such as the Florida panther, the American crocodile, the alligator, and the manatee live in the park. The site is also home to 350 species of birds and 300 species of fish.
Everglades' wild fauna.
Great Blue Heron.
6.Waterton Glacier International Peace Park
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park.
This stunning site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1995, is shared by Canada and the USA. It is actually a union of two parks - Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta - that formed the first International Peace Park in the world.
The park that takes up 1,800 square miles (4,662 square kilometers) is widely known for its exceptional beauty and magnificent scenery. The outstanding landscape of mountains, lakes, glaciers, waterfalls and lush valleys is also home to hundreds of plants, birds and mammal species.
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park.
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park.
5. The Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty.
The iconic Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom, and the national emblem of the United States. It was actually made in Paris by the French sculptor Bartholdi and presented by France to the USA in 1886. Since then the Statue has been proudly welcoming millions of people arriving to the country. The Statue has appeared on the UNESCO's List in 1984.
Statue of Liberty.
4. Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon.
The UNESCO calls the Canyon one of the earth's "greatest on-going geological spectacles."
The 1.5-kilometer (0.9 mile) deep gorge was shaped during six million years of geological activity. It was formed by the Colorado River, but to date the geologists do not know exactly how it happened. Grand Canyon National Park, claiming the area of 1,902 sq mi (4927 sq km) was established in 1919, and it is one of the oldest national parks in the USA. The park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979.
The 1.5-kilometer (0.9 mile) deep gorge was shaped during six million years of geological activity. It was formed by the Colorado River, but to date the geologists do not know exactly how it happened. Grand Canyon National Park, claiming the area of 1,902 sq mi (4927 sq km) was established in 1919, and it is one of the oldest national parks in the USA. The park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979.
Today the breathtaking and powerful landscape attracting five million people per year is one of the most photographed places in America and an informal symbol of both Arizona and the USA.
Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon.
3. Pueblo de Taos
Pueblo de Taos.
Pueblo de Taos that became a World Heritage Site in 1992 is a traditional community of Native Americans living in ancient adobe buildings in New Mexico. The settlement situated in the Rio Grande Valley was built between the 11th and 13th century and is one of few traditional architectural complexes from the pre-hispanic period that have survived until the present day in the USA.
Church in Pueblo de Taos.
Pueblo de Taos.
2. Wrangell-St Elias / Glacier Bay
Wrangell-St. Elias.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the America's largest national park, is around six times the size of Yellowstone National Park. This park along the Kluane, Glacier Bay and Tatshenshini-Alsek national parks were jointly declared a World Heritage Site in 1979. The site shared by Canada and the USA is home to the world's largest non-polar icefield featuring outstanding glaciers and other spectacular ice formations.
Dall's sheep, mountain goats and grizzly bears as well as caribous are just a few examples of hundreds of wild species residing in the park.
Wrangell-St. Elias.
Grizzly Bear, Kluane National Park.
Glacier Bay.
1. Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park.
A great collection of natural formations - from rocky islets and alpine meadows to intact beaches and spectacular glaciers - gives the park its magical beauty. The park, located in the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, is often called "the gift from the sea" by the local residents. Around 100 km (62 miles) of wild coastline form the longest undeveloped coast in the United States. In general, the site features three regions: the Olympic Mountains, the coastline, and the temperate rain forest. It became a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1981.
Olympic National Park.
Hoh River Valley rainforest in Olyyympic National Park.
Seven Lakes Basin in Olympic N.P.