UNESCO Recognises Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago As World Natural Heritage
UNESCO has recognised Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago in Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh province and neighboring Hai Phong city as a world natural heritage. The UN’s cultural organisation has announced the new inscription to the list at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Apparently, Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago is Vietnam’s first inter-provincial UNESCO-listed world heritage site. Cat Ba Archipelago in the port city of Hai Phong is the largest limestone archipelago in Vietnam and is home to over 360 islands. Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba archipelago is noted for a rich diversity of island and ocean and is home to a range of rare animals and plants. It houses the nation’s largest maritime forest with an area of more than 17000 hectares.
The archipelago had earlier been recognized by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve.
