List of World Heritage Sites in the Marshall Islands

Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site

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Location of the World Heritage Site in Marshall Island

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 Marshall Islands accepted the convention on April 24, 2002, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2023, the Marshall Islands has only one World Heritage Site ^[2]

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural. ^[3]

World Heritage Sites

Site	Image	Location	Year listed	UNESCO data	Description
Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site		Ralik Chain	Cultural (iv) (vi)	2010	In the wake of World War II, in a move closely related to the beginnings of the Cold War, the United States of America decided to resume nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean, on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall archipelago. After the displacement of the local inhabitants, 67 nuclear tests were carried out from 1946 to 1958, including the explosion of the first H-bomb (1952). Bikini Atoll has conserved direct tangible evidence that is highly significant in conveying the power of the nuclear tests, i.e. the sunken ships sent to the bottom of the lagoon by the tests in 1946 and the gigantic Bravo crater. Equivalent to 7,000 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb, the tests had major consequences on the geology and natural environment of Bikini Atoll and on the health of those who were exposed to radiation. Through its history, the atoll symbolises the dawn of the nuclear age, despite its paradoxical image of peace and of earthly paradise. This is the first site from the Marshall Islands to be inscribed on the World Heritage List. [4]

Tentative List

Site	Image	Location	Criteria	Area ha (acre)	Year of submission	Description
Northern Marshall Islands Atolls		Ralik Chain 8°N167°E / 8°N 167°E / 8; 167 (Northern Marshall Islands Atolls)	Mixed		2005	[5]
Likiep Village Historic District		Ratak Chain 9°54′00″N169°08′00″E / 9.9°N 169.133333°E / 9.9; 169.133333 (Likiep Village Historic District)	Cultural (ii)(iv)		2005	[6]
Mili Atoll Nature Conservancy (and Nadrikdrik)		Ratak Chain 6°08′00″N171°55′00″E / 6.133333°N 171.916667°E / 6.133333; 171.916667 (Mili Atoll Nature Conservancy (and Nadrikdrik))	Natural		2005	[7]

References

1. "The World Heritage Convention". UNESCO. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
2. "Marshall Islands". UNESCO. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
3. "The Criteria for Selection". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
4. "Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20. Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO (CC BY 3.0 IGO) license.
5. "Northern Marshall Islands Atolls". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
6. "Likiep Village Historic District". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
7. "Mili Atoll Nature Conservancy (and Nadrikdrik)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.