The World Heritage idea
A World Heritage is a place, building or area so unique that it is of value for all of humankind. World Heritage Sites are appointed by the UN-organization UNESCO. There are cultural World Heritage Sites, telling something unique about humankind’s history, and natural World Heritage Sites telling something unique about the history of the Earth. Of the World’s more than 1200 World Heritage Sites, fifteen can be found in Sweden and seven in Finland. World Heritage Sites are places that make a difference. With the World Heritage appointment comes a promise to exhibit the World Heritage in the best way possible, educate about World Heritage and preserve the Site for future generations. Here is a film that explains this a bit more (www.youtube.com).
Every World Heritage Site is unique
To become a World Heritage Site, the object needs something that is globally unique. Every World Heritage Site has a description of what is unique with that place, building or area. It is called SOUV (Statement of Outstanding Universal Value). Here is a link to the SOUV of the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago (www.whc.unesco.org).
The High Coast and Kvarken Archipelago is a World Heritage Site because it is the best place in the world to understand and experience the land uplift after the latest ice age. The High Coast was appointed as a World Heritage Site in the year 2000 and in 2006 the World Heritage Site was expanded with the Kvarken Archipelago. There are unique traces of how the landscape was formed by the Ice sheet, land uplift and the sea in the World Heritage Area.
Next chapter: traces on the terrain tell the story of the Ice Age
To understand the High Coast and Kvarken Archipelago, you must first understand the ice age. What traces can you find?