List of World Heritage Sites in Vanuatu

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.[1] Vanuatu accepted the convention on June 13, 2002, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2023, Vanuatu has only one World Heritage Site [2]

Location of sites edit

Location of World Heritage Sites in   Vanuatu

List of sites edit

Name Image Location Criteria Year Description
Chief Roi Mata’s Domain   Shefa Province

17°37′41″S 168°10′40″E / 17.628069°S 168.177719°E / -17.628069; 168.177719 (Chief Roi Mata’s Domain)

Cultural (iii) (v) (vi) 2008 Chief Roi Mata’s Domain is the first site to be inscribed in Vanuatu. It consists of three early 17th century AD sites on the islands of Efate, Lelepa and Artok associated with the life and death of the last paramount chief, or Roi Mata, of what is now Central Vanuatu. The property includes Roi Mata’s residence, the site of his death and Roi Mata’s mass burial site. It is closely associated with the oral traditions surrounding the chief and the moral values he espoused. The site reflects the convergence between oral tradition and archaeology and bears witness to the persistence of Roi Mata’s social reforms and conflict resolution, still relevant to the people of the region.[3]

Tentative List edit

Site Image Location Criteria Area
ha (acre)
Year of submission Description
Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula Malampa Province

16°15′S 167°30′E / 16.25°S 167.5°E / -16.25; 167.5 (Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula)

Cultural (iii) 2004 [4]
The President Coolidge Sanma Province

15°25′00″S 166°54′00″E / 15.416667°S 166.9°E / -15.416667; 166.9 (The President Coolidge)

Cultural (i)(iii)(iv)(v) 2004 [5]
Vatthe Conservation Area   Sanma Province

15°25′00″S 166°54′00″E / 15.416667°S 166.9°E / -15.416667; 166.9 (Vatthe Conservation Area)

Natural (vii)(ix)(x) 2004 [6]
Lake Letas   Torba Province

14°17′00″S 167°32′00″E / 14.283333°S 167.533333°E / -14.283333; 167.533333 (Lake Letas)

Natural (vii)(ix)(x) 2004 [7]
The Nowon and Votwos of Ureparapara Torba Province

13°32′00″S 167°20′00″E / 13.533333°S 167.333333°E / -13.533333; 167.333333 (The Nowon and Votwos of Ureparapara)

Cultural (iii)(iv)(v) 2005 [8]

References edit

  1. ^ "The World Heritage Convention". UNESCO. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "Vanuatu". UNESCO. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  3. ^ "Chief Roi Mata's Domain". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.  Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO (CC BY 3.0 IGO) license.
  4. ^ "Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  5. ^ "The President Coolidge". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  6. ^ "Vatthe Conservation Area". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  7. ^ "Lake Letas". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  8. ^ "The Nowon and Votwos of Ureparapara". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.