UNESCO added Georgia’s Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands to its list of world heritage sites. This is the first Georgian site added to the list for its natural attributes.

It includes 1,100 species of vascular and non-vascular plants, including 44 threatened species, some 500 varieties of vertebrates and harbors 19 threatened animal species, including the Colchich Sturgeon.

The site is comprised of 7 parts on an 80km span along Georgia’s Black Sea coast. It includes the revered Kolkheti National Park of Samegrelo and Guria regions and Kobuleti and Kintrishi Protected Areas, and Mtirala National Park in the Adjara Autonomous Republic.

Besides the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, 3 other Georgian sites are inscribed on the World Heritage List, Gelati Monastery, Historical Monuments of Mtskheta and Upper Svaneti, for their cultural attributes.