Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- Rio de Janeiro, nicknamed the Marvelous City, officially entered the UN’s list of world heritage sites in recognition of its soaring granite cliffs, urban rainforest and beaches.

• The UN cultural body, UNESCO, highlighted the “extraordinary fusion” of man-made and natural beauty in certifying Rio on the world heritage list during a ceremony held at the Christ the Redeemer statue.

• Rio got a big tourism boost during the 2014 football World Cup and this August’s Olympic Games. However, persistent high crime, last year’s Zika epidemic, and political instability have hurt the city’s image.

• The UNESCO status was announced in 2012, but only became official after the Brazilian authorities were given four years to report on their plans for protecting the likes of Flamengo Park, Sugarloaf Mountain, the Corcovado, Copacabana beach, the Botanical Garden and Tijuca forest.

UNESCO:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)  is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris.

Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter.