UNESCO's World Heritage List Now Includes Mexico’s Ancient Maya City And Protected Tropical Forests Of Calakmul

The ancient Maya city of Calakmul and the tropical forests of Calakmul have been added to the World Heritage Sites list, according to the National Anthropology and History Institute (INAH). The region added to the list is roughly 1.78 million acres and constitutes the souther portion of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve.

The official announcement was made over the weekend in Doha, Qatar by the World Heritage Committee, which added the two sites to the renown World Heritage List. The INAH states that this is the first mixed site in Mexico to be added to the list by UNESCO.

"The site is located in the central/southern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula, in southern Mexico and includes the remains of the important Maya city Calakmul, set deep in the tropical forest of the Tierras Bajas," UNESCO said in a statement posted on its web site. "The city played a key role in the history of this region for more than 12 centuries and is characterized by well-preserved structures providing a vivid picture of life in an ancient Maya capital. The property also falls within the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot. This hotspot is the third largest in the world and encompasses all subtropical and tropical ecosystems from central Mexico to the Panama Canal."

Other sites that were added to the list on Saturday, include: Japan's Tomioka Silk Mill, the Van Nellefabriek (Van Nelle Factory) in the Netherlands, Qhapac Ñan, Andean Road System (which runs through Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), Germany's Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey, and Saudi Arabia's Historic Jeddah and the Gate to Makkah.