Shafaqna Science- UNESCO has added 24 new and two expanded sites to its World Heritage List, ranging from ancient human sites to beautiful, biodiverse regions according to the IFLScience.
Badain Jaran, China’s third largest desert, is noted by UNESCO for its high density of sand dunes at the junction of the Twin Lakes. Its extraordinary geological and geomorphic features reveal unparalleled desert landscapes and landscapes.
Badain Jaran, is home to massive sand formations, or mega-dunes. This includes the world’s tallest sand mega-dune, which is taller than the Empire State Building.
There are 144 interdunal lakes between the mega-dunes. This is the highest number of this kind of lake in the world. The lakes are different colors because of the salt and microbes in the water.
The next site is made up of three archaeological sites. Diepkloof Rock Shelter, Pinnacle Point Site Complex, and Sibhudu Cave in South Africa have some of the earliest evidence of modern human behavior and technology, dating back 162,000 years.
These sites have shells used as beads, evidence of ochre processing, toolmaking, and the use of symbols.
Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park has 90,000 hectares of bright white sand dunes and turquoise lagoons. Some are permanent, while others appear during the rainy season.
Niah National Park on Borneo Island has huge caves with the longest known record of human interaction with a rainforest. It is 50,000 years old.
The Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific are the only “mixed” site. They have amazing artifacts from a civilization that developed over 850 years. They also have the “wildest coastal marine province in the world.” The islands’ waters are home to many seabirds, marine mammals, sharks, and rays.
Source: IFLScience