TUBBATAHA REEF

National Marine Park, South Sulu Sea, Palawan

(LOCAL)

The countrys first inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 was the Tubbataha
Reef National Marine Park in Palawan, a distinction so appropriate for an island nation that
traditionally looks towards the sea as a life-giving force, the traditional center of peoples lives.

UNESCO recognized the site primarily for its importance to regional diversity, an outstanding
distinction for the marine diversity known to exist in the Philippines. The UNESCO World
Heritage Committee cited Tubbataha Reef as one of the most outstanding coral reefs in
Southeast Asia, noting that in the 33,200 hectares of the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park
lies an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species, a phenomenon unique in the world
and a site of irreplaceable universal value.

Tubbataha derives from two Samal words meaning a long reef exposed only at low tide.
Tubbataha Reef, the only national marine park in the Philippines, is an underwater site
consisting of two coral atolls with a 100-meter perpendicular wall covering an area of 10,000
hectares situated at the center of the Sulu Sea, about 150 kilometers southeast of Puerto
Princesa City, and located in Cagayancillo. The Reef harbours a diversity of marine life greater
than any other similar area in the world. The underwater abundance of Tubbataha is

staggering. Marine biologists believe that its underwater gardens harbour a diversity of marine
life that surpasses reefs of the same size in any other part of the world.

Source: http://www.tourism.gov.ph/sitepages/top10sitetogo.aspx

Historic Town of Sukhothai

and Associated Historic Towns
(ABROAD)

Sukhothai was the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the 13th and 14th centuries. It has a
number of fine monuments, illustrating the beginnings of Thai architecture. The great
civilization which evolved in the Kingdom of Sukhothai absorbed numerous influences and
ancient local traditions; the rapid assimilation of all these elements forged what is known as
the 'Sukhothai style'.
The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193
ruins on 70 square kilometers of land.[1]There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are
the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The
park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from UNESCO, which has
declared it a World Heritage Site. Each year, the park welcomes thousands of visitors who
marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily
toured by bicycle or even on foot.

Source: UNESCO TV / TBS Produced by TBS Supported by Sony URL:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/574/