World Heritage facts

Sweden’s High Coast is granted the World Heritage status because of its exceptional geology. In the environment of the Baltic Sea, there are no other such hilly areas and the highest points in the terrain are over 300 metres above the sea level!

Visit the High Coast’s website here.

The Kvarken Archipelago becomes Finland’s first Natural Heritage on UNESCO World Heritage List. In other words, the Kvarken is as valuable as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

The High Coast and the Kvarken Archipelago form a joint World Heritage Site that cross two national borders.

Sweden and Finland look after the joint site together. The responsible parties are  Västernorrland’s County Administrative Board in Sweden and Metsähallitus in Finland.

The High Coast – 140 000 ha, of which 60 000 ha is land
The Kvarken Archipelago – 194 400 ha, of which 29 300 ha is land

There are 5600 islands in the Kvarken Archipelago !

Residents of the municipalities of Korsholm, Korsnäs, Malax, Vaasa and Vörå live in the Kvarken Archipelago’s World Heritage Area. In the High Coast, Kramfors and Örnsköldsvik are the World Heritage municipalities.