Image copyright Getty Images Image caption About 18 million people visit the Lake District each year

The Lake District has joined the likes of the Grand Canyon, the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu by being awarded Unesco World Heritage status.

The national park was one of 33 sites around the world to be discussed by the Unesco committee in Krakow, Poland.

The committee praised the area's beauty, farming and the inspiration it had provided to artists and writers.

It is the 31st place in the UK and overseas territories to be put on the Unesco World Heritage List.

The committee suggested the impact of tourism be monitored and requested improvements in conservation efforts.

The delegates heard the 885 sq-mile (2,292 sq km) Lake District had been trying to obtain the Unesco status since 1986.

Lord Clark of Windermere, chairman of the Lake District National Park Partnership which put together the bid, described the decision as "momentous".

In pictures: Where are the UK's world heritage sites?

Men-only island gets World Heritage nod

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Windermere is England's largest natural lake

"A great many people have come together to make this happen and we believe the decision will have long and lasting benefits for the spectacular Lake District landscape, the visitors we welcome every year and for the people who call the National Park their home," he added.

Steve Ratcliffe, director of sustainable development at the Lake District National Park, said the application had been a "long time in the making" and he was "incredibly proud" of the landscape which has been shaped by nature, farming and industry.

He told the committee: "The Lake District now becomes an international and global property and we look forward to working with you and our communities to make sure this site inspires future generations around the world."

Image caption Steve Ratcliffe said it "has taken millennia to become the evolving masterpiece it is today"

About 18 million people visit the Lake District each year, spending a total of £1.2bn and providing about 18,000 jobs.

It is home to England's largest natural lake - Windermere - and highest mountain - Scafell Pike.

Image caption The Lake District has inspired artists and writers

Nigel Wilkinson, managing director of Windermere Lake Cruises, said he was hopeful the Unesco status would put the Lakes on an international level.

"What we really hope is it will act as an economic driver and will grow the value, not the volume, of tourism by giving people more... reasons to make day visits and sustained visits."

Harriet Fraser, a writer and patron of Friends of the Lake District, said: "It's the most beautiful district but it has a very deep culture which is largely hill farming but also conservation."

Other UK Unesco sites include Stonehenge, Durham Castle and Cathedral, and the city of Bath.</s>The World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow since 2 July today inscribed cultural sites in Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Poland, and the Russian Federation, along with one that spans Croatia, Italy and Montenegro.

The sites added, in order of inscription are:

Historic City of Yazd (Islamic Republic of Iran)

The City of Yazd is located in the middle of the Iranian plateau, 270 kilomtres southeast of Isfahan, close to the Spice and Silk Roads. It bears living testimony to the use of limited resources for survival in the desert. Water is supplied to the city through a qanat system developed to draw underground water. The earthen architecture of Yazd has escaped the modernization that destroyed many traditional earthen towns, retaining its traditional districts, the qanat system, traditional houses, bazars, hammams, mosques, synagogues, Zoroastrian temples and the historic garden of Dolat-abad.

Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata (Japan)

Located 60 km off the western coast of Kyushu island, the island of Okinoshima is an exceptional example of the tradition of worship of a sacred island. The archaeological sites that have been preserved on the Island are virtually intact, and provide a chronological record of how the rituals performed there changed from the 4th to the 9th centuries CE. In these rituals, votive objects were deposited as offerings at different sites on the Island. Many of them are of exquisite workmanship and had been brought from overseas, providing evidence of intense exchanges between the Japanese archipelago, the Korean Peninsula and the Asian continent. Integrated within the Grand Shrine of Munakata, the island of Okinoshima is considered sacred to this day.

Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries: Stato da Terra – Western Stato da Mar (Croatia, Italy, Montenegro)

This property consists of 15 components of defence works in Italy, Croatia and Montenegro, spanning more than 1,000 kilometres between the Lombard region of Italy and the eastern Adriatic Coast. The fortifications throughout the Stato da Terra protected the Republic of Venice from other European powers to the northwest and those of the Stato da Mar protected the sea routes and ports in the Adriatic Sea to the Levant. They were necessary to support the expansion and authority of the Serenissima. The introduction of gunpowder led to significant shifts in military techniques and architecture that are reflected in the design of so-called alla modernaI bastioned, fortifications, which were to spread throughout Europe.

Kujataa Greenland : Norse and Inuit Farming at the Edge of the Ice Cap (Denmark)

Kujataa is a sub-arctic farming landscape located in the southern region of Greenland. It bears witness to the cultural histories of the Norse hunters-gatherers who started arriving from Iceland in the 10th century and of the Norse farmers, Inuit hunters and Inuit farming communities that developed from the end of the 18th century. Despite their differences, the two cultures, European Norse and Inuit, created a cultural landscape based on farming, grazing and marine mammal hunting The landscape represents the earliest introduction of farming to the Arctic, and the Norse expansion of settlement beyond Europe.

Taputapuātea (France)

Taputapuātea on Ra’iatea Island is at the centre of the “Polynesian Triangle,” a vast portion of the Pacific Ocean, dotted with islands, and the last part of the globe to be settled by humans. The property includes two forested valleys, a portion of lagoon and coral reef and a strip of open ocean. At the heart of the property is the Taputapuātea marae complex, a political, ceremonial and funerary centre. It is characterized by a paved courtyard with a large standing stone at its centre. Widespread in Polynesia, the marae were places where the world of the living intersects the world of the ancestors. Taputapuātea is an exceptional testimony to 1,000 years of mā'ohi civilization.

Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura (Germany)

Modern humans first arrived in Europe 43,000 years ago during the last ice age. One of the areas where they took up residence was the Swabian Jura in southern Germany. Excavated from the 1860s, six caves have revealed items dating from 43,000 to 33,000 years ago. Among them are carved figurines of animals (including cave lions, mammoths, horses and cattle), musical instruments and items of personal adornment. Other figurines depict creatures that are half animal, half human and there is one statuette of a female form. These archaeological sites feature some of the oldest figurative art worldwide and help shed light on the origins of human artistic development.

Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System (Poland)

Located in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland, one of the main mining areas of central Europe, the site includes the entire underground mine with adits, shafts, galleries and water management system. Most of the site is situated underground while the surface mining topography features the remains of the 19th century steam water pumping station, which testifies to continuous efforts over three centuries to drain the underground extraction zone. It has made it possible to use undesirable water from the mines to supply towns and industry. Tarnowskie Góry represents a significant contribution to the global production of lead and zinc.

Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk (Russian Federation)

The Assumption Cathedral is located in the town-island of Sviyazhsk and is part of the monastery of the same name. Situated at the confluence of the Volga, the Sviyaga and the Shchuka rivers, at the crossroads of the Silk and Volga routes, Sviyazhsk was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551. It was from this outpost that he initiated the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. The Assumption Monastery illustrates in its location and architectural composition the political and missionary programme developed by Tsar Ivan IV to extend the Moscow state. The cathedral’s frescoes are among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox mural paintings.

The 41st session of the World Heritage Committee (9-12 July), chaired by Jacek Purchla, founder and director of the International Cultural Centre in Kraków, will continue inscribing sites on the World Heritage List this afternoon.

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UNESCO,

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</s>A sudden afternoon shower on Saturday failed to drown out the voices of protesters gathered outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy to demand the reconstruction of a sacred cemetery and the protection of other Islamic heritage sites in the Middle East nation.

About 300 people marched from the Human Rights Monument on Elgin Street to a grassy clearing across from the Sussex Avenue embassy, where many used the opportunity to express their anger at the Saudi government for persecuting religious minorities and for what they see as supporting terrorist organizations.

Canada’s government was also chided for its $15-billion deal to sell military vehicles to Saudi Arabia.

Protesters carried banners that read “Muslims Against ISIS,” “Rebuild Al Baqee” and “Respect Muslim Heritage.”

And among chants there were: “Al Baqee, Al Baqee, rebuild Al Baqee ” and “1-2-3-4, we don’t want your dirty war.”

The Jannat al-Baqee cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia, was chosen by Islam’s Holy Prophet Mohammad. It is the place where many of his descendants were buried.

But it was destroyed in 1925 by the government of Saudi Arabia, which left behind no sign of any grave or tomb.

Today, pilgrims who seek to visit and pray at the site are harassed or prevented from doing so, according to march organizers.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia follows an extreme ideology known as wahhabism, which is rejected by many in the Muslim world, including the minority Shia Muslim protesters who marched in Ottawa.

All cultures, civilizations and religions, including Islam, are proud of their traditions and heritage, said Jaffar Hashmi of the Ottawa Al-Baqee chapter.

“Humanity does its utmost to preserve them, not destroy them,” he said. “These are heritage sites. They have to be rebuilt and restored.”

Berak Hussain drew a comparison between calls to restore the Baqee cemetery and Canadians preserving this nation’s history by building sites such as the National War Memorial, which protesters passed en route to the embassy.

Many Canadians would rightfully be heartbroken and furious if a future government ever destroyed the cenotaph and prevented people from visiting the site. “It’s an outright insult,” she said, accusing the current Saudi government of trying to rewrite history. Raising her voice to demand the sacred sites be restored and protected is also a way of speaking out against terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Boko Haram, she said. Such a protest on the streets of Saudi Arabia may not as safe as it is in Canada, where free speech is a basic right, said Toronto’s Gulzar Rizvi. “We can tell Canadians we have been denied access to our shrines in Saudi Arabia,” he said. Saturday marked the first time a Baqee protest was held in Ottawa. Similar events have been held in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Houston, as well as major cities in Europe and the Middle East.

The march was supported by the Al Baqee Organization, a U.S. group committed to raising awareness about the preservation of Islamic heritage.

The NGO strives to protect and stop further destruction of endangered heritage sites and restore all destroyed heritage sites, starting with Jannat-ul-Baqee because its destruction marked the beginning of such incidents in the modern era.

The Saudi government’s goal is to eradicate the Islamic legacy and heritage, and systematically remove all its vestiges so future generations of Muslims will have no affiliation with their religious history, the NGO says.</s>A sudden afternoon shower on Saturday failed to drown out the voices of protesters gathered outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy to demand the reconstruction of a sacred cemetery and the protection of other Islamic heritage sites in the Middle East nation.

 

 About 300 people marched from the Human Rights Monument on Elgin Street to a grassy clearing across from the Sussex Avenue embassy, where many used the opportunity to express their anger at the Saudi government for persecuting religious minorities and for what they see as supporting terrorist organizations.

 

 Canada’s government was also chided for its $15-billion deal to sell military vehicles to Saudi Arabia.

 

 Protesters carried banners that read “Muslims Against ISIS,” “Rebuild Al Baqee” and “Respect Muslim Heritage.”

 

 And among chants there were: “Al Baqee, Al Baqee, rebuild Al Baqee ” and “1-2-3-4, we don’t want your dirty war.”

 

 The Jannat al-Baqee cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia, was chosen by Islam’s Holy Prophet Mohammad. It is the place where many of his descendants were buried.

 

 But it was destroyed in 1925 by the government of Saudi Arabia, which left behind no sign of any grave or tomb.

 

 Today, pilgrims who seek to visit and pray at the site are harassed or prevented from doing so, according to march organizers.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia follows an extreme ideology known as wahhabism, which is rejected by many in the Muslim world, including the minority Shia Muslim protesters who marched in Ottawa.

 

 All cultures, civilizations and religions, including Islam, are proud of their traditions and heritage, said Jaffar Hashmi of the Ottawa Al-Baqee chapter.

 

 “Humanity does its utmost to preserve them, not destroy them,” he said. “These are heritage sites. They have to be rebuilt and restored.”

 

 Berak Hussain drew a comparison between calls to restore the Baqee cemetery and Canadians preserving this nation’s history by building sites such as the National War Memorial, which protesters passed en route to the embassy.

 

 Many Canadians would rightfully be heartbroken and furious if a future government ever destroyed the cenotaph and prevented people from visiting the site.

 

 “It’s an outright insult,” she said, accusing the current Saudi government of trying to rewrite history.

 

 Raising her voice to demand the sacred sites be restored and protected is also a way of speaking out against terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Boko Haram, she said.

Such a protest on the streets of Saudi Arabia may not as safe as it is in Canada, where free speech is a basic right, said Toronto’s Gulzar Rizvi.

 

 “We can tell Canadians we have been denied access to our shrines in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

 

 Saturday marked the first time a Baqee protest was held in Ottawa. Similar events have been held in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Houston, as well as major cities in Europe and the Middle East.

 

 The march was supported by the Al Baqee Organization, a U.S. group committed to raising awareness about the preservation of Islamic heritage.

 

 The NGO strives to protect and stop further destruction of endangered heritage sites and restore all destroyed heritage sites, starting with Jannat-ul-Baqee because its destruction marked the beginning of such incidents in the modern era.

 

 The Saudi government’s goal is to eradicate the Islamic legacy and heritage, and systematically remove all its vestiges so future generations of Muslims will have no affiliation with their religious history, the NGO says.

 

 mpearson@postmedia.com

 

 twitter.com/mpearson78</s>That challenge is about to get tougher.

UNESCO's huge list of World Heritage properties has grown even longer this month, with the global body voting to add 21 sites during the 41st annual World Heritage Committee session in Krakow, Poland.

That brings the total of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to 1,073.

Northwest England's mountainous Lake District was among the new sites added to the list, the UK's first national park to become a World Heritage property.

"The combined work of nature and human activity has produced a harmonious landscape in which the mountains are mirrored in the lakes," says UNESCO's statement announcing the inscription.

India's walled city of Ahmedabad, founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in the 15th century, was also added to the list, becoming the country's first city to get a UNESCO nod.

Located on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati river, it "presents a rich architectural heritage from the sultanate period, notably the Bhadra citadel, the walls and gates of the Fort city and numerous mosques and tombs as well as important Hindu and Jain temples of later periods," says UNESCO's description of the city.

Two South America properties were added to the list, including Brazil's Valongo Wharf, an archeological site.

Located in central Rio de Janeiro, the wharf encompasses the entire Jornal do Comércio Square and was built to receive enslaved Africans who began landing the South American continent from 1811.

"It is the most important physical trace of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent," says UNESCO.

Israel accused UNESCO of making a politically motivated move, part of what it says is an attempt to deny the Jewish character and heritage of certain key sites in the Holy Land.

Meanwhile, UNESCO's decision to approve China's nomination of Hoh Xil, part of the high-altitude Tibetan plateau in Qinghai Province, has also drawn protests.

The International Campaign for Tibet says the nomination poses a threat to Tibetan nomads and their way of life.

Here's this year's list of newly inscribed sites, several of which can be viewed in the above gallery:

Germany: Caves and ice age art in the Swabian Jura

Angola: Mbanza Kongo, political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo

The United Nations' World Heritage Committee, made up of representatives from 21 countries, meets annually to vote natural, cultural and sites of mixed significance around the world to its prestigious preservation list, which includes places of "outstanding universal value."

The inscribed sites must meet at least one of 10 criteria such as "representing a masterpiece of human creative genius," containing "exceptional natural beauty" or being an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement.

UNESCO has been adding sites to the World Heritage List since 1978.

In the travel world, being able to add the words "UNESCO World Heritage Site" to destination marketing materials is the equivalent of striking tourism gold, bringing fame and cultural cachet as well as resources for sites in need of restoration and protection.

As a result, nations often spend years developing pitches for inclusion on the list and must convince the UNESCO committee they will protect their sites and support them financially.</s>The Lake District has joined the likes of the Taj Mahal in India and Machu Picchu in Peru after being awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.

What does this mean and are there any sites in the North East?

In a nutshell, it is a landmark or area which has been officially recognized by the United Nations, specifically by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

How are these sites chosen and what does it mean to them?

Sites are selected on the basis of having cultural, historical, scientific or some other form of significance, and they are legally protected by international treaties.

UNESCO regards these sites as being important to the collective interests of humanity.

How does the process begin?

A site must meet one of the selection criteria produced by UNESCO. In the UK’s case, the government compiles a tentative list of sites to be considered for consideration.

They are then evaluated by either ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites) for cultural sites and / or IUCN (World Conservation Union) for natural sites.

The sites are then presented to the World Heritage Committee who make the final decision.

How many sites are there around the world?

As of July 2017, 1053 sites are listed: 815 cultural, 203 natural, and 35 mixed properties, in 165 states.

Which country in the world has the most sites?

Italy is the home to the greatest number of World Heritage Sites with 53 sites, followed by China (52), Spain (45), France (42), Germany (41), India (35), and Mexico (34).

And where does the UK come in the list?

Next after Mexico as it’s listed as United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories and now has 31.

How many of those are from this region?

We have two. Durham Cathedral, which was added to the list in 1986 and Hadrian’s Wall which was first included in 1987.

It was chosen as it was seen as the “largest and finest” example of Norman architecture in England and vaulting of the cathedral was part of the advent of Gothic architecture.

It helped that the cathedral houses relics of St Cuthbert and Bede.

And what about Hadrian’s Wall?

For its part as the frontier of the Roman empire - or the ‘Roman Limes’. The Roman Limes represents the border line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century AD. It stretched over 5,000km from the Atlantic coast of northern Britain, through Europe to the Black Sea, and from there to the Red Sea and across North Africa to the Atlantic coast.

Have any other sites been considered from this region?

Yes, there was a joint Wearmouth-Jarrow bid back in 2011.

The bid centred on the monastery of St Peter’s Church in Monkwearmouth and St Paul’s Church in Jarrow.

They were founded in the seventh century AD as a twin monastery intended, by its creator Benedict Biscop, to function as one organisation.

The two sites are some 14.2 km (8.8 miles) apart, on the south bank of the River Tyne and the north bank of the River Wear in north-east England.

Under Benedict Biscop’s inspirational leadership and that of his assistant and successor Ceolfrith, Wearmouth-Jarrow went on to become a wonder of its time: a powerhouse of intellectual endeavour.

The bid for World Heritage status was “shelved” in 2012 after an evaluation by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).</s>The United Nations’ education, science and culture branch has designated nearly two dozen new locations as official World Heritage Sites in recent days, thus ensuring international efforts will go toward their preservation.

UNESCO ― the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ― designated eleven new sites on Sunday and may continue to do so throughout next week until the annual World Heritage Committee meeting ends on July 12.

Receiving World Heritage Site status ensures that the UN will work to preserve these sites and combat any human-driven or natural threats they may face.

They join a list of more than a thousand World Heritage Sites, selected based on their reflection of human ingenuity; testimony to culture, history or science; or manifestation of nature’s beauty or power, among other criteria.

Sunday’s new additions include nods to human creations and perseverance with the historic Iranian city of Yazd, which “bears living testimony to the use of limited resources for survival in the desert,” UNESCO said; the water recycling system at the Tarnowskie Góry lead, silver and zinc mine in Southern Poland; and the 16th and 17th century Venetian works of defense, a series of sea fortifications that span between Italy, Croatia and Montenegro.

They also include sites rich with cultural history, including Japan’s island of Okinoshima, an ancient ritual spot with well-preserved archaeological sites; Greenland’s Kujataa, a sub-arctic farming landscape that bears witness to the successful cohabitation of Norse hunter-gatherers and Inuit farming communities; and Taputapuātea, a site on the Polynesian island Ra’iatea thought to be the last part of the globe settled by humans.

Two sites are testimonies to art history, including caves in southern Germany that contain some of the oldest known art depicting human or animal figures, dating back 43,000 years and helping “shed light on the origins of human artistic development,” UNESCO said. Also included is the Assumption Cathedral in Sviyazhsk, Russia, where the frescoes “are among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox mural paintings.”</s>The United Nations’ cultural agency has added 22 heritage treasures to its list of World Heritage sites, joining iconic locations like India’s Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.

The UNESCO World Heritage List Committee designated Britain’s Lake District, the Baden-Wuerttemberg caves in Germany, and the modernist architecture in Asmara — the capital city of Eritrea — to the roster of places with special recognition.

The additions come as the agency meets in Poland for an 11-day session to nominate new locations in need of protection and reviews the status and well-being of existing designated sites.

The UNESCO designation, which recognizes the outstanding universal values of the sites, is meant to draw attention to them and the need to preserve them.

Among the other new sites on the UNESCO list are: the underground mines in Tarnowskie Gory in Poland, the historic city of Yazd, in Iran; Japan’s sacred and restricted-access island of Okinoshima, and Los Alerces National Park in Argentina.

Also added Sunday were Turkey’s 3rd century B.C. Aphrodisias temple and the Valongo Wharf Archeological Site in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

However, as UNESCO leaders move ahead on boosting protections and expanding conservation around some heritage sites, some critics say politics is leaving other locations exposed.

READ MORE: The Great Barrier Reef’s coral is dying off, but UNESCO doesn’t think it’s ‘in danger’

UNESCO voted to leave the Great Barrier Reef off its “in danger” list on July 5 despite experiencing widespread destruction.

The decision, which was taken at UNESCO committee meeting allows Australia’s conservative government to dodge political embarrassment and potential damage to the country’s lucrative tourism industry,

Australia’s management of the Great Barrier Reef has come under sustained criticism amid the biggest ever coral die-off as a result of the strongest El Nino in 20 years, a weather event that scientists believe is exacerbated by climate change. Eager to head off charges that it was failing the site, the Coalition government of Malcolm Turnbull lobbied all 21 UNESCO members.

READ MORE: Australia’s not exactly racing against time to save the Great Barrier Reef

Despite endorsing Australia’s management plan, the World Heritage Committee did express “serious concern” about the health of the reef. It urged Australia to accelerate its efforts to improve water quality, describing it as “essential to the overall resilience of the property”.

-With files from Reuters and The Associated Press.</s>The Lake District has been named as a World Heritage Site, Unesco has announced.

The region, in north-west England, joins sites including the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon and Stonehenge on the prestigious list.

The culture organisation tweeted: “Just inscribed as @UNESCO #WorldHeritage Site: The English Lake District.”

Lord Clark of Windermere, who chaired the Lake District’s bid, said the decision to recognise the region’s culture, art and literature, as well as its landscape, was “momentous”.

He said: “It is this exceptional blend which makes our Lake District so spectacularly unique and we are delighted Unesco has agreed.

“A great many people have come together to make this happen and we believe the decision will have long and lasting benefits for the spectacular Lake District landscape, the 18 million visitors we welcome every year and for the people who call the National Park their home.”

A Unesco committee in Krakow, Poland, backed the national park, in Cumbria and home to England’s highest mountain Scafell Pike, which was among 33 nominations of sites all over the world.

The bid was formally entered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Historic England and was the UK’s only submission in 2016.

John Glen, minister for arts, heritage and tourism, said: “The Lake District is one of the UK’s most stunning and ancient landscapes and I am thrilled it has been granted World Heritage Site status.

“It is a unique part of the world that combines a vibrant farming community with thousands of archaeological sites and structures that give us an amazing glimpse into our past.

“This decision will undoubtedly elevate the position of the Lake District internationally, boosting tourism and benefiting local communities and businesses.”

The region is known for its soaring fells as much as its expansive lakes, including England’s longest, Windermere, and deepest, Wastwater.

The Lakes also boasts sites of historical importance such as King Arthur’s Round Table, said by English Heritage to be a neolithic earthwork henge believed to be the legendary monarch’s jousting arena.

And it was an inspiration for some of the country’s most beloved writers including Beatrix Potter, who owned Hill Top Farm, and poets William Wordsworth, Samuel Coleridge and John Ruskin.

The UK now has 31 World Heritage Sites including the city of Bath, the Tower of London, Canterbury Cathedral and the Giant’s Causeway.

Tim Farron MP, whose Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency is in south Cumbria, said: “This is fantastic news for our area, and for the local tourist economy.

“This well-deserved status is a formal recognition of the outstanding natural beauty of the Lake District, and will help to further promote our area as the UK’s leading rural tourist destination.

“However, it is vital that the Lake District remains a viable place for local people to live.

“This decision is about protecting and promoting the natural and cultural heritage of our area, and must not be used as an excuse to freeze in aspic our vibrant rural communities.

“The Lake District must be a place where local people can afford to live, raise a family and find work so that rural communities can thrive.”</s>The region, in north-west England, joins sites including the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon and Machu Picchu on the prestigious list. Thirty other UK landmarks have World Heritage status, including Stonehenge, the Palace of Westminster and the Tower of London. Lord Clark of Windermere, who chaired the Lake District's bid, said the decision to recognise the region was "momentous".

He said: "Joining the UNESCO family, both in the UK and globally, is a huge opportunity for the Lake District National Park. "We believe this designation will have long lasting benefits for everyone who visits, lives and works in this special place." And Richard Leafe, the national park's chief executive, tweeted: "We got it. Lake District has World Heritage Status! 20 years in the making."

UNESCO official Helen Maclagan described the Lakes as a "priceless and irreplaceable asset not only to the UK but to humanity as a whole". She added: "I am delighted that the rich cultural landscape of the Lake District is now recognised on the world stage. "We look forward to working with the Lake District Partnership and continuing our work with World Heritage Sites in the UK to ensure that the full benefits of World Heritage Site status are realised."
UNESCO declares eight new sites as world heritage sites; including Lake District in North West England and Iran's Historic City of Yazd.