Search Results for “list of world heritage sites in the democratic republic of the congo”

Source: List of World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. The Democratic Republic of the Congo accepted the convention on 23 September 1974, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
There are five World Heritage Sites in the country, all of them listed for their natural significance. Virunga National Park was the first site in DRC to be listed, in 1979. Four sites are currently listed as endangered because of threats such as poaching and deforestation. Salonga National Park was listed as endangered between 1999 and 2021. There are also four sites on the tentative list.