Members of the Global Geoparks Network

The world distribution of geoparks as on 2014

The UNESCO Global Geoparks Network was established in November 2015^[1] replacing the earlier UNESCO-assisted Global Geoparks Network (GGN) which was established in 1998. The network was set up to conserve earth’s geological heritage, as well as to promote the sustainable research and development by the concerned communities.^[2] The GGN membership is formed by national geological parks, or geoparks—local areas focused on the protection of geological features and heritage.

The first batch of members to the GGN were announced during the first International Conference on Geoparks in 2004. By late 2015, 120 geoparks from 33 countries had officially become part of the GGN family. There are now GGN member sites situated in 5 of 7 continents and there being none currently in either Antarctica or Australasia. Notably there are currently (2015) no global geoparks in either the United States or former Soviet Union territory as well as in South Asia, Central America and most parts of Africa (except Morocco and Canarias) and Middle East (except Turkey). China is the country with the largest number of global geoparks. ^[3]

List by country/territory

Many of the names in the list below^[4] appear in slightly different forms in different docvuments or webpages, particularly where they have been anglicised.

Former members of the GGN

Whilst the length of the list has grown year on year, some members drop out from time to time, either by choice or by failing the network's revalidation procedures.

Notes

References

1. ↑ http://www.globalgeopark.org/News/News/9979.htm
2. ↑ "UNESCO Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences". UNESCO. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
3. ↑ Distribution of GGN Members
4. ↑ http://www.globalgeopark.org/aboutGGN/list/index.htm
5. ↑ "Fangshan Geopark". globalgeopark.org. Retrieved April 13, 2016. 
6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNESCO Media Services 19 September 2011
7. 1 2 3 4 UN News Centre, 21 September 2012
8. ↑ http://www.europeangeoparks.org/?p=4998
9. ↑ http://www.globalgeopark.org/aboutGGN/list/Japan/8438.htm
10. ↑ http://www.globalgeopark.org/aboutGGN/list/Japan/8913.htm
11. ↑ http://www.europeangeoparks.org/?p=4998
12. ↑ Lochaber loses Unesco geopark status, BBC News, 17 November 2011

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geoparks.

• GGN official site
• About GGN on UNESCO site