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When was the first UNESCO World Heritage List created?

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Ajanta Caves: reclining Buddha — World Heritage site Reclining Buddha statue, Ajanta Caves, north-central Maharashtra state, India.

The UNESCO World Heritage List was created in 1978.1

While the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO in 1972 and entered into force on December 17, 1975, the list itself was established three years later. In its inaugural year of 1978, 12 sites were inscribed, including Yellowstone National Park and Aachen Cathedral.213