Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina

Diamantina, a colonial village set like a jewel in a necklace of inhospitable rocky mountains, recalls the exploits of diamond prospectors in the 18th century and testifies to the triumph of human cultural and artistic endeavour over the environment.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/890

The Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina comprises a city landscape adapted from European models to an American context.

The city's history began in 1713 when an expedition found diamonds on the mountain slopes and along the rivers in this region. A first settlement was started, Arraial do Tijuco.

In 1731 the Portuguese Crown became aware of its wealth, and set up a seperate body to administer the region. Mining rights were granted to private enterprises at first, but soon the Crown took back ownership.

Mining blossomed in Diamantina in the 18th and early 19th century. After that, richer and better quality deposits in South-Africa were found.

Because of this, the historical center of Diamantina has been preserved very well. Some distinct features set it aside from other Portuguese colonial towns (and they can still be seen today): its pavement (large grey stones called capistranas) and the use of wood and adobe on the walls of its houses. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/site.php?id=890

Serra da Capivara National Park

Many of the numerous rock shelters in the Serra da Capivara National Park are decorated with cave paintings, some more than 25,000 years old. They are an outstanding testimony to one of the oldest human communities of South America.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/606

Serra da Capivara National Park holds many rock shelters in which the oldest rock art of South America has been found. This art reveals aspects of the religious belief and practices of the earliest inhabitants of this region.

The earliest traces of rock painting here dates from between 26,000 and 22,000 BC. Most of the painted works date from 10,000 to 4,000 BC, and were made by Nordeste and Agreste cultures. The sites weren't rediscovered until the 1960's.

The park lies in the north east of Brazil.

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/serradacapivara.html

Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea

The site consists of an exceptional urban setting encompassing the key natural elements that have shaped and inspired the development of the city: from the highest points of the Tijuca National Park’s mountains down to the sea. They also include the Botanical Gardens, established in 1808, Corcovado Mountain with its celebrated statue of Christ, and the hills around Guanabara Bay, including the extensive designed landscapes along Copacabana Bay which have contributed to the outdoor living culture of this spectacular city. Rio de Janeiro is also recognized for the artistic inspiration it has provided to musicians, landscapers and urbanists.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1100

Rio de Janeiro, Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea, is a dramatic example how the landscape has been used and shaped. This city of great beauty reaches from the mountains to the sea.

Rio’s natural landscape started to be altered in the 17th and 18th centuries to allow sugar and coffee growing. Its parks and gardens later became protected, and as such attributed to the outdoor living culture of the city.

The designated area consists of the following parts:

• Tijuca National Park, including Corcovado peak and its Christ the Redeemer statue

• Botanic Garden

• Flamengo Park

• The mouth of the Guanabara Bay, including the Sugar Loaf

• Copacabana Beach Front 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/riodejaneiro.html

Iguaçu National Park

The park shares with Iguazú National Park in Argentina one of the world’s largest and most impressive waterfalls, extending over some 2,700 m. It is home to many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, among them the giant otter and the giant anteater. The clouds of spray produced by the waterfall are conducive to the growth of lush vegetation.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/355

Iguacu National Park, with the Falls as its main feature, was added to the World Heritage List for two reasons: its exceptional natural beauty and because it's the habitat of rare and endangered species.

The Brazilian side of the park measures 170.086 ha. The adjacent Argentinian side is another World Heritage Site.
The waterfalls on both sides together span over 2700 m., and have a height of 80 m.

Iguacu is an indigenous (Tupi-Guarani) name, meaning Great Waters.

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/iguacunationalpark.html

Historic Town of Ouro Preto

Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (Black Gold) was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil’s golden age in the 18th century. With the exhaustion of the gold mines in the 19th century, the city’s influence declined but many churches, bridges and fountains remain as a testimony to its past prosperity and the exceptional talent of the Baroque sculptor Aleijadinho.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/124

Historic Town of Ouro Preto is a unique representation of baroque architecture in a homogenous cityscape.

The city's wealth has its origins in the late 17th century. At this period expeditions to the interior of Brazil started, in search of minerals. This became succesfull in what now is the state of Minais Gerais: in 1693 gold was discovered here.

The exploration for gold was a monopoly of the Portuguese crown. They taxed 20% on the findings. A heavy system for collecting the tributes and taxes was in places. Of course the miners didn't like that, so an uprising took place in 1789. It was put down, and its leader Tiradentes was cut in pieces - his head was displayed on the main square of Ouro Preto.

Small settlements of miners in search for El Dorado were joined in 1711 to create the city of Villa Rica (later renamed to Ouro Preto, 'Black Gold'). The settlers were divided in two parishes and in ethnic groups. Each group constructed its own church, bringing in baroque artisans.

At the height of its Golden Age, Ouro Preto had some 110.000 inhabitants (mainly slaves). The city was left to itself in 1897, when the state capital moved to Belo Horizonte. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/ouropreto.html

Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia

As the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763, Salvador de Bahia witnessed the blending of European, African and Amerindian cultures. It was also, from 1558, the first slave market in the New World, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations. The city has managed to preserve many outstanding Renaissance buildings. A special feature of the old town are the brightly coloured houses, often decorated with fine stucco-work.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/309

The Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia, frequently called the Pelourinho, is extremely rich in historical monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Bahia was the first colonial capital of Brazil and the city is one of the oldest in the New World (founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers). It was also the first slave market on the continent, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations. 

Major buildings inside the designated area are:

- Cathedral

- Convents of St. Francis, St. Dominic, Carmel and St. Anthony

- 16th century Palaces

- Baroque Palaces 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/salvadordebahia.html

Central Amazon Conservation Complex

The Central Amazon Conservation Complex makes up the largest protected area in the Amazon Basin (over 6 million hectares) and is one of the planet’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity. It also includes an important sample of varzea ecosystems, igapó forests, lakes and channels which take the form of a constantly evolving aquatic mosaic that is home to the largest array of electric fish in the world. The site protects key threatened species, including giant arapaima fish, the Amazonian manatee, the black caiman and two species of river dolphin.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/998

The Central Amazon Conservation Complex comprises a landscape of rivers, islands, lakes and forests with high biodiversity. Specific species include the varzea forest, electric fish, river dolphins, and manatees.

The site includes the following four parks:
- Jaú National Park
- Amana Sustainable Development Reserve
- Demonstration area of the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve
- Anavilhanas Ecological Station

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/jaunationalpark.html

Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves

Peaks of the Southern Atlantic submarine ridge form the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Rocas Atoll off the coast of Brazil. They represent a large proportion of the island surface of the South Atlantic and their rich waters are extremely important for the breeding and feeding of tuna, shark, turtle and marine mammals. The islands are home to the largest concentration of tropical seabirds in the Western Atlantic. Baia de Golfinhos has an exceptional population of resident dolphin and at low tide the Rocas Atoll provides a spectacular seascape of lagoons and tidal pools teeming with fish.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1000

Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves comprise two islands with rich marine life off Brazil's coast. The peaks of Fernando de Noronha are also the only known occurrence of insular Atlantic Forest - a subtype of Atlantic Rainforest.

The marine area holds large volumes of tuna, sharks, dolphins, turtles and tropical seabirds. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/brazilianatlanticislands.html