The World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Program. These features may be natural, such as forests and mountain ranges, and may be man-made, such as buildings and cities, and may be mixed.
This program was launched through the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which was adopted during the General Conference of UNESCO held on 16 November 1972. Since its signature, 189 States have ratified this Convention. The program aims at classifying, naming and preserving sites of particular interest to the human race, whether cultural or natural. Through this agreement, sites included in this program receive financial assistance under certain conditions.