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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. [1] The Federative Republic of Brazil accepted the convention on 1 September 1977, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2023, there are 23 World Heritage Sites in Brazil, including fifteen cultural sites, seven natural sites and one mixed site. [2]
The first site in Brazil, the Historic Town of Ouro Preto, was inscribed on the list at the 4th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Paris, France in 1980. [3] In 1983, Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis was accepted to the list in a joint bid with Argentina, making it Brazil's first trans-border property. [4] Iguaçu National Park was enlisted in 1986 as the first site selected for its natural significance. [5] Brazil's latest contribution to the World Heritage List, the Sítio Roberto Burle Marx, was inscribed in 2021. [6]
In addition to its inscribed sites, Brazil also maintains twenty-three properties on its tentative list. [7]
Site | Image | Location | Criteria | Area ha (acre) | Year | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves | Paraná and São Paulo 24°10′00″S48°00′00″W / 24.16667°S 48.00000°W | Natural: (vii)(ix)(x) | 468,193 (1,156,930) | 1999 | The site comprises some of the last remaining Atlantic Forests and shows a very high diversity with many rare and endemic species. As such it is of high interest both for scientists and for conservation. [10] | |
Brasília | Federal District 15°47′00″S47°54′00″W / 15.78333°S 47.90000°W | Cultural: (i)(iv) | — | 1987 | Planned and developed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer in 1956, Brasília was created ex nihilo in order to move the capital from Rio de Janeiro to a more central position. Together with Chandigarh in India it is the only place where Corbusier's design principles of urbanism have been applied on large scale. [11] | |
Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves | Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte 3°51′29″S32°25′30″W / 3.85806°S 32.42500°W | Natural: (vii)(ix)(x) | 42,270 (104,500) | 2001 | As one of the few insular habitats in the South Atlantic, the site is essential as feeding ground and reproduction space for marine organisms including endangered and threatened species, most notably the hawksbill sea turtle. [12] | |
Central Amazon Conservation Complex | Amazonas 2°20′00″S62°00′30″W / 2.33333°S 62.00833°W | Natural: (ix)(x) | 5,323,018 (13,153,460) | 2000 [nb 1] | As the largest protected area in the Amazon basin, the site is notable for its high biodiversity, range of habitats such as várzea and igapó forests and number of endangered species. It has been recognized by various conservation agencies as a high priority region. [nb 2] [13] [14] | |
Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks | Goiás 14°00′20″S47°41′05″W / 14.00556°S 47.68472°W | Natural: (ix)(x) | 367,356 (907,760) | 2001 | The two parks are characteristic of the cerrado, one of the world's oldest tropical ecosystems and an important refuge for species in times of climate change. [15] | |
Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves | Bahia and Espírito Santo 16°30′00″S39°15′00″W / 16.50000°S 39.25000°W | Natural: (ix)(x) | 111,930 (276,600) | 1999 | The site comprises some of the last remaining Atlantic Forests and shows a very high diversity with many rare and endemic species. As such it is of high interest both for scientists and for conservation. [16] | |
Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia | Bahia 12°58′00″S38°30′00″W / 12.96667°S 38.50000°W | Cultural: (iv)(vi) | — | 1985 | The colonial old town of the first Brazilian capital and town of the first slave market in the New World, has preserved many brightly colored Renaissance houses decorated with stucco work from the 16th to 18th centuries. [17] | |
Historic Centre of São Luís | Maranhão 2°30′51″S44°18′09″W / 2.51417°S 44.30250°W | Cultural: (iii)(iv)(v) | 67 (170) | 1997 | São Luís has preserved the complete rectangular town plan and numerous historical buildings making it a prime example of a Portuguese colonial town. [18] | |
Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina | Minas Gerais 18°40′00″S43°36′00″W / 18.66667°S 43.60000°W | Cultural: (ii)(iv) | 29 (72) | 1999 | A well-preserved example of Baroque architecture, this 18th-century colonial town was founded in an inhospitable environment of rocky mountains and became a center of diamond mining in the 18th and 19th centuries. [19] | |
Historic Centre of the Town of Goiás | Goiás 15°56′00″S50°08′00″W / 15.93333°S 50.13333°W | Cultural: (ii)(iv) | 40 (99) | 2001 | Founded in 1727 by the bandeirante explorer Bartolomeu Bueno da Silva, Goiás has preserved much of its colonial heritage and is an example of a European settlement in the interior of South America. [20] | |
Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda | Pernambuco 8°00′48″S34°50′42″W / 8.01333°S 34.84500°W | Cultural: (ii)(iv) | 120 (300) | 1982 | Founded in 1537 the town prospered as a centre of sugar-cane production. Following looting by the Dutch in the 17th century, the historic centre dates largely to the 18th century with a harmonious combination of buildings, gardens, churches, convents and chapels. [21] | |
Historic Town of Ouro Preto | Minas Gerais 20°23′20″S43°30′20″W / 20.38889°S 43.50556°W | Cultural: (i)(iii) | — | 1980 | The prosperity of the town as the center of the Brazilian gold rush in the 18th century is reflected in numerous preserved churches, bridges and fountains many of them designed by the Baroque sculptor Aleijadinho. [22] | |
Iguaçu National Park | Paraná 25°41′00″S54°26′00″W / 25.68333°S 54.43333°W | Natural: (vii)(x) | 170,086 (420,290) | 1986 | Together with Iguazú National Park on the Argentinian side, the park protects Iguazu Falls, one of the world's largest waterfalls, and is home to many rare and endangered species such as giant anteater or the giant otter. The site had been listed as endangered 1999–2001 due to an illegally opened road through the park, dams on the Iguazu River and helicopter flights. [23] | |
Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Miní, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa María Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of São Miguel das Missões (Brazil) | Rio Grande do Sul also Misiones Province, Argentina 28°32′36″S54°15′57″W / 28.54333°S 54.26583°W | Cultural: (iv) | — | 1983 [nb 3] | Each of the five ruined Spanish Jesuit missions founded amidst a tropical forest in the land of the Guaraní people in the 17th and 18th centuries is characterized by a specific design. [24] [25] | |
Pampulha Modern Ensemble | Minas Gerais 19°51′07″S43°58′25″W / 19.85194°S 43.97361°W | Cultural: (i)(ii)(iv) | 154 (380) | 2016 | The listed site consists of an urban project created in 1940 at Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. It was designed around an artificial lake, Lake Pampulha, and includes a casino, a ballroom, the Golf Yacht Club and the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi. The buildings were designed by the architect Oscar Niemeyer, in collaboration with the landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx and Brazilian Modernist artists. [26] | |
Pantanal Conservation Area | Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul 17°43′00″S57°23′00″W / 17.71667°S 57.38333°W | Natural: (vii)(ix)(x) | 187,818 (464,110) | 2000 | The site contains four protected areas, encompassing one of the world's largest freshwater wetland ecosystems, and is home to an abundant number and diverse range of species. [27] | |
Paraty and Ilha Grande - Culture and Biodiversity | Rio de Janeiro 23°13′21″S44°42′50″W / 23.22250°S 44.71389°W | Mixed: (v)(x) | 204,634 (505,660) | 2019 | Located between the Serra da Bocaina mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, this cultural landscape includes the historic centre of Paraty, one of Brazil's best-preserved coastal towns, as well as four protected natural areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, one of the world’s five key biodiversity hotspots. Paraty is home to an impressive diversity of species, some of which are threatened, such as the jaguar (Panthera onca), the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) and several primate species, including the woolly spider monkey (Brachyteles arachnoides), which are emblematic of the site. In the late 17th century, Paraty was the end-point of the Caminho do Ouro (Gold Route), along which gold was shipped to Europe. Its port also served as an entry point for tools and African slaves, sent to work in the mines. A defence system was built to protect the wealth of the port and the town. The historic centre of Paraty has retained its 18th century plan and much of its colonial architecture dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries. [28] | |
Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes Between the Mountain and the Sea | Rio de Janeiro 22°56′52″S43°17′29″W / 22.94778°S 43.29139°W | Cultural: (v)(vi) | 7,249 (17,910) | 2012 | The listed site consists of an exceptional urban setting rather than built heritage. It encompasses the key natural elements that have shaped and inspired the development of the city: from the highest points of the Tijuca National Park's mountains down to the sea. They also include the Botanical Gardens, established in 1808, Corcovado Mountain with its celebrated statue of Christ and the hills around Guanabara Bay, including the extensive designed landscapes along Copacabana Bay which have contributed to the outdoor living culture of this spectacular city. Rio de Janeiro is also recognized for the artistic inspiration it has provided to musicians, landscapers and urbanists. [29] | |
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos | Minas Gerais 20°29′59″S43°51′28″W / 20.49972°S 43.85778°W | Cultural: (i)(iv) | — | 1985 | Built in the 18th century, the site features a church, an outdoor stairway and seven chapels, decorated with statues by Aleijadinho. [30] | |
São Francisco Square in the Town of São Cristóvão | Sergipe 11°00′58″S37°12′36″W / 11.01611°S 37.21000°W | Cultural: (ii)(iv) | 3 (7.4) | 2010 | The square is surrounded by two churches, a palace and other buildings of different historical periods, exemplifying Franciscan architecture in north-eastern Brazil. [31] | |
Serra da Capivara National Park | Piauí 8°25′00″S42°20′00″W / 8.41667°S 42.33333°W | Cultural: (iii) | — | 1991 | The site is among the oldest human communities in South America, featuring a great number of cave paintings, some dating as early as 25,000 years ago. [32] | |
Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site | Rio de Janeiro 22°53′49.6″S43°11′14.62″W / 22.897111°S 43.1873944°W | Cultural (vi) | 0.3895 (0.962) | 2017 | It is in the former harbour area of Rio de Janeiro in which the old stone wharf was built for the landing of enslaved Africans reaching the South American continent from 1811 onwards. An estimated 900,000 Africans arrived in South America via Valongo. [33] | |
Sítio Roberto Burle Marx | Rio de Janeiro 23°01′26.4″S43°32′49.6″W / 23.024000°S 43.547111°W | Cultural (ii), (iv) | 40.53 (100.2) | 2021 | Estate in Barra de Guaratiba which belonged to the landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. He created a garden there with about 3500 species of plants. [6] |
In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage list, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage list are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. [34] As of 2023, Brazil lists twenty-one properties on its tentative list: [7]
Iguazú Falls or Iguaçu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. Together, they make up the largest waterfall system in the world. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River rises near the heart of the city of Curitiba. For most of its course, the river flows through Brazil; however, most of the falls are on the Argentine side. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the border between Argentina and Brazil.
Ouro Preto, formerly Vila Rica, is a city in and former capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains and designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its outstanding Baroque Portuguese colonial architecture.
Paraty is a preserved Portuguese colonial (1500–1822) and Brazilian Imperial (1822–1889) municipality with a population of about 43,000. The name "Paraty" originates from the local Guaianá Indians' indigenous Tupi language, named for an abundant local fish native to the region. Paraty is located on the Costa Verde, a lush green corridor that runs along the coastline of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. Paraty has become a tourist destination, known for its historic town center and the coast and mountains in the region. The historic center of the city, as well as four areas of the Atlantic Forest, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 under the title "Paraty and Ilha Grande".
Diamantina is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais. Its estimated population in 2020 was 47,825 in a total area of 3,870 km2.
Serra da Capivara National Park is a national park in the Northeastern region of Brazil. The area has many prehistoric paintings.
The Iguazú National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the Iguazú Department, in the north of the province of Misiones, Argentine Mesopotamia. It has an area of 677 km2 (261 sq mi).
Bernardo Joaquim da Silva Guimarães was a Brazilian poet and novelist. He is the author of the famous romances A Escrava Isaura and O Seminarista. He also introduced to Brazilian poetry the verso bestialógico, also referred to as pantagruélico — poems whose verses are very nonsensical, although very metrical. Under the verso bestialógico, he wrote polemical erotic verses, such as "O Elixir do Pajé" and "A Origem do Mênstruo". A non-erotic poem written in verso bestialógico is "Eu Vi dos Polos o Gigante Alado".
Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park is a national park of Brazil located in the state of Goiás, on the top of an ancient plateau with an estimated age of 1.8 billion years. The park was created on January 11, 1961, by President Juscelino Kubitschek, and listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2001. It occupies an area of 2,405 square kilometres (929 sq mi) in the municipalities of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Cavalcante and Colinas do Sul. The park is maintained by Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.
Niède Guidon is a Brazilian archaeologist known for her work in pre-historic archeology of South American civilizations and her efforts to secure the conservation of the World Heritage Site Serra da Capivara National Park.
Tourism is a growing sector and key to the economy of several regions of Brazil. The country had 6.589 million visitors in 2018, ranking in terms of the international tourist arrivals as the second main destination in South America after Argentina and third in Latin America after Mexico and Argentina. Revenues from international tourists reached US$5.8 billion in 2015, continuing a recovery trend from the 2008–2009 economic crisis.
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is a Rococo Catholic church in Ouro Preto, Brazil. Its erection began in 1766 after a design by the Brazilian architect and sculptor Antônio Francisco Lisboa, otherwise known as Aleijadinho. Lisboa designed both the structure of the church and the carved decorations on the interior, which were only finished towards the end of the 19th century. The circular bell towers and the oculus closed by a relief were original features in religious architecture of that time in Brazil. The façade has a single entrance door under a soapstone frontispiece under a relief depicting Saint Francis receiving the stigmata. The interior is richly decorated with golden woodwork, statues and paintings, and the wooden ceiling displays a painting by Manuel da Costa Ataíde.
The Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, or Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve, is a biosphere reserve covering remnants of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, including fully protected and sustainable use conservation units and buffer zones. It is the largest such reserve in the world.
The Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic (Portuguese: Mosaico da Mata Atlântica Central Fluminense is a protected area mosaic in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The mosaic is inland, to the east of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The Trinational Biodiversity Corridor is a proposed ecological corridor that would link protected areas in the Alto Paraná Atlantic forests ecoregion in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.