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New landmarks added to UNESCO's world heritage sites

Vocab level: B2
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We begin today with some international landmarks we might need to add to our travel bucket lists.
26 new sites have been added to UNESCO's list of world heritage sites,
a catalog of more than 1000 places of outstanding value to all mankind.
These important landmarks range from ancient archaeological sites to buildings to national parks
that are rich in cultural significance, history, or simply natural beauty.
Places like the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Great Wall of China,
the Taj Mahal in India, or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.
The folks in charge of this list are the World Heritage Committee.
And every year they consider new sites to be nominated by host countries to inscribe or add as a UNESCO heritage site.
Once on the list, a site is then marked as a protected zone
and conservation efforts are made to shield sites from over tourism, climate change, and other factors that could cause damage.
This year, West African nation Sierra Leone received its first acknowledgement, the Gola-Tiwai Complex.
The biodiversity hot spot includes a rainforest national park
and an island wildlife sanctuary that's home to many species of elephants and hippopotami.
Also joining the list this year are the four grand palaces of King Ludwig II
built in Germany's Bavarian region in the 1800s, including the Disney-like Neuschwanstein Castle.
In the United Arab Emirates, a desert archaeological site that holds evidence of human activity from more than 200,000 years ago.
And in Greece, a palace complex that served as a hub of daily activity for the Minoan civilization thousands of years ago.
The palace contains examples of early writing, architecture, and art,
and is being called a treasure trove of prehistoric Mediterranean culture.