A geopark is a unified area that advances the protection and use of geological heritage in a sustainable way, and promotes the economic well-being of the people who live there. There are global geoparks and national geoparks.
The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the field of geology.
Sigri is a small fishing village near the western tip of Lesbos Island. Its name derives through Greek σίγουρος from the Venetian word siguro, meaning "safe", based on the fact that it has a safe harbour. Sigri has a Turkish castle, built in 1746 during the Ottoman occupation, which looks over the bay and the long island of Nissiopi, which stretches across the mouth of the bay and acts as a buffer to the prevailing winds. The port of Sigri is able to accommodate large vessels, even cruise ship-size ferry boats coming from the mainline. Almost all shipping to Lesbos, however, comes into the east of the island.
Geotourism is tourism associated with geological attractions and destinations. Geotourism deals with the abiotic natural and built environments. Geotourism was first defined in England by Thomas Alfred Hose in 1995.
The International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGCP) is a cooperative enterprise of UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).
The Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest is a geological museum located in the village of Sigri on the island of Lesbos in Greece. Established in 1994, it is a center for the study, management, and preservation of the petrified forest of Lesbos and for public education about the site. It is a founding member of the European Geoparks Network and is a member of UNESCO's Global Geoparks Network.
The Madonie are one of the principal mountain ranges on the island of Sicily, located in the Northern part of the island.
Fforest Fawr Geopark was the first Geopark to be designated in Wales having gained membership of both the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO-assisted Global Network of National Geoparks in October 2005. The Geopark aims to promote and support sustainable tourism and other opportunities to improve the economy of the area whilst safeguarding the natural environment. Its aims largely coincide with the statutory duties and purpose of the National Park within which it sits.
The Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark straddles the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is centred on the Marble Arch Caves and in 2001 it became one of the first geoparks to be designated in Europe.
The 195 Member States of UNESCO ratified the creation of a new label, the UNESCO Global Geoparks, on 17 November 2015. This expressed governmental recognition of the importance of managing outstanding geological sites and landscapes in a holistic manner. This new designation formalized UNESCO's relationship with the Global Geoparks Network (GGN), which received ad hoc support from UNESCO since 2001. The network was set up to conserve earth's geological heritage, as well as to promote the sustainable research and development by the concerned communities. The GGN membership is formed by geoparks—local areas focused on the protection of geological features and the celebration of that and the wider heritage.
The Madonie Regional Natural Park is an Italian regional park located in Sicily, between Palermo and Cefalù and covers 39,972 acres.
The Novohrad – Nógrád Geopark (NNG), a geopark straddling the border between Hungary and Slovakia, is one of the first transnational geoparks in the world. It is a member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network and European Geoparks Network.
The derivation of the term geoheritage is from geological heritage. It is thus a heritage category comparable to other forms of natural heritage, such as biodiversity. Some geoheritage sites, or "geosites", are related to human activity such as mining, and can also be viewed in terms of cultural heritage.
The Asia Pacific Geoparks Network (APGN) is the regional geopark network of the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) and the UNESCO International Geosciences and Geoparks Programme (UNESCO-IGGP). Its main role is to coordinate the activities of GGN in the UNESCO regions of Asia and the Pacific, to promote networking between global geoparks and geopark professionals in the region and to provide support for sustainable economic development in geopark areas. As of 2020 February, the APGN had 60 institutional members in countries. The Pacific region is currently not represented by a global geopark, but there are ongoing geopark projects, just as in other countries of Asia.
The Basque Coast Geopark, formally the Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark, is an area of the Basque Country in the north of Spain which became a member of the European Geoparks Network in 2010, one of several Global Geoparks in Spain. It comprises 89 square kilometres of countryside with a 23km long cliffed coast fronting the Bay of Biscay. Inland it comprises hilly country which reaches up to Sesiarte which is 755m above sea level. The main communities within the Geopark are Zumaia, Deba and Mutriku. The A8 Cantabrian motorway runs east-west through the Geopark.
