UNESCO's World Heritage Committee met for its 22nd annual conference in Kyoto, Japan

Some new World Heritage sites   Choose a location: A. France B. Cyprus C. Lebanon D. New Zealand E. Bolivia

Related site:

See the full list of cultural sites UNESCO has added to its World Heritage List. Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

(CNN) -- The cultural and educational branch of the United Nations has added 30 sites to its World Heritage List, including pre-historic rock-art sites in Spain and Portugal, the Summer Palace Imperial Garden in Beijing and the archaeological site of Troy in Turkey.

The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Committee has been meeting in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto since November 30. Its new list includes 27 cultural sites and three natural sites, bringing the total number of designated sites to 582 in 114 countries.

For the first time, the World Heritage List includes Belgium and the Solomon Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. In Belgium, the newly designated heritage sites are the Flemish Béguinages (cloisters established by religious women in the mid-13th century), four hydraulic boat lifts considered "industrial monuments" on the historic Canal du Centre, and La Grand-Place in Brussels (a grouping of historic buildings dating to the late 17th century).

In the Solomon Islands, the committee designated East Rennell -- the largest raised coral atoll in the world. The Golden Mountains of Altai in Russia were also selected as a natural treasure. The Siberian habitat is home to endangered species such as the snow leopard and represents the complete range of vegetation zones (from steppe to alpine) in the region.

The committee also tapped Nara, Japan, which preceded the conference's host city of Kyoto as an imperial capital. Founded in 710, Nara contains a wealth of ancient temples and shrines, as well as the excavated ruins of the great imperial palace.

During the 22nd annual conference, the committee removed the Old City of Dubrovnik, Croatia, from its List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. According to the committee, efforts to restore and preserve Dubrovnik have been successful. The coastal city known as "the pearl of the Adriatic" was among the first sites to make the World Heritage List in 1979.

The list of World Heritage Sites in Danger now includes 23 historic monuments and natural reserves such as the Everglades and Yellowstone national parks in the United States and Timbuktu in Mali.