Sunday, July 15, 2012

Mona Island, Puerto Rico Could Become A World Heritage Site


Mona island, off the west coast of Puerto Rico, could be recognize as a World Heritage site.  New Progressive Party Representative Eric Correa Rivera is petitioning the United Nations to add the uninhabited island to its list of sites considered to be of outstanding value to humanity irrespective of the territory on which they are located.


Mona island located west of Puerto Rico and east of the Dominican Republic, has a rich history and a wide range of flora and fauna.  The unique island is one of the most important biological and archeological laboratories in the region.  Correa said, "It is important to recognize the importance of this little island in the development of Caribbean culture.”  Correa, who is chairman of the House Natural Resources, Environment & Energy Committee, sent a formal request to, UN Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Executive Director, Irina Bokova.


Covering 22 square miles, Mona island is the third-largest island of the archipelago of Puerto Rico, after the main island of Puerto Rico and Vieques.  Mona Island is currently managed as a nature reserve by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural & Environmental Resources.  The island is known among divers for its vibrant reefs and crystal clear waters.


 "Mona island uniqueness should be preserved with this important designation," Correa said.   Receiving the designation of a World Heritage site from UNESCO, would place Mona Island in the same company as El Morro Fort in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. 


Here is a video of Mona Island:




                                                                        





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