Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site: Located near present-day St. Louis, this largest and earliest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico is the pre-eminent example of a cultural, religious, and economic center of the Mississippi Valley and the southeastern United States. This agricultural society may have had a population of 10,000 - 20,000 at its peak between 1050 and 1150, which was equivalent to the population of many European cities at that time. Inscribed 1982.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park: The more than 100 limestone caves found here are notable because of their size, origin, and the abundance, diversity, and beauty of the underground rock formations that continue to form. This cavern system is well known for its natural beauty, exceptional geologic features, and unique reef and rock formations. It is one of the best preserved such complexes available for scientific study in the world. Inscribed 1995.
Chaco Culture: This network of sites preserves outstanding elements of a vast pre-Columbian cultural complex that dominated much of the southwestern United States in the mid-19th to early 13th centuries. Chaco Canyon, a major center of ancestral Pueblo culture between 850 and 1250, was a focus for ceremonies, trade, and political activity. Its monumental public and ceremonial buildings were linked by an elaborate road system, much of which can still be traced. These achievements are remarkable, particularly given the harsh environment of the region. Inscribed 1987.
Everglades National Park: This is the largest sub-tropical wilderness reserve on the North American continent, located at the interface of temperate and sub-tropical climates, fresh and brackish water, and shallow bays and deeper coastal waters. These conditions create a complex of habitats supporting a high diversity of flora and fauna. The park contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. Inscribed 1979.
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site: La Fortaleza, along with the later forts of San Felipe del Morro, San Cristobal, and San Juan de la Cruz, and a large portion of the original San Juan City Wall, were built between the 16th and 19th centuries to protect the city and the Bay of San Juan. They are pre-eminent examples of the historic methods of construction used in military architecture over this period, which adapted European designs and techniques to the special conditions of the Caribbean port cities. Inscribed 1983.
Grand Canyon National Park: The Grand Canyon is among the earth's greatest ongoing geological spectacles. Its size is stunning, and the evidence it reveals about the earth's history is invaluable. The gorge ranges in width from 0.3 miles to 18.6 miles and is nearly a mile in depth. It twists and turns for 275 miles, and was formed over at least six million years of geologic activity and erosion by the Colorado River. Inscribed 1979.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park: This area is a major North American refuge of temperate-zone flora and fauna that survived the Pleistocene glaciations, and the appearance of its flora echoes that of the late Pleistocene period. The park is large enough to allow the continuing biological evolution of this natural system, and its biological diversity exceeds that of other temperate-zone protected areas of comparable size. Its undisturbed forest includes the largest block of virgin red spruce remaining on earth. Inscribed 1983.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: The park contains significant parts of two of the world's most active and best understood volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa, measured from the ocean floor, is the greatest volcanic mass on earth. These are two of the world's most active and accessible volcanoes where ongoing geological processes are easily observed. This World Heritage Site presents an excellent example of island-building through the volcanic processes. Inscribed 1987.
Independence Hall: The Declaration of Independence was adopted and the U.S. Constitution framed in this fine 18th-century building. It is listed for association with the universal principles of freedom and democracy set forth in these documents, which have had a profound impact on lawmakers and political thinkers around the world. They became the models for similar charters of other nations, and may be considered to have heralded the modern era of government. Inscribed 1979.
Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek: This joint Canadian and U.S. listing embraces four national parks and protected areas on both sides of the international boundary. It is the largest non-polar ice field in the world and contains examples of some of the world's longest and most spectacular glaciers. The area transitions from northern interior to coastal zones, resulting in plant and animal communities that range from marine to coastal forest, montane, sub-alpine, and alpine tundra types. Inscribed 1979; extended 1992 and 1994.
Mammoth Cave National Park: Mammoth Cave is the most extensive cave system in the world, with over 285 miles of surveyed passageways and at least another 80 miles outside the park. The caves, which contain 100 million years of formation, illustrate many stages of earth's evolution and contain many unique wildlife, with more than 130 species within the cave system. Nearly every type of cave formation is known within the site. Inscribed 1981.
Mesa Verde National Park: This landscape is considered to be the "type site" of the Ancestral Puebloan culture, which lasted from ca. 450 to 1300. There is a great concentration of spectacular Pueblo Indian dwellings, including the famous cliff dwellings. Inscribed 1978.
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