Among these are those properties declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, as stipulated in the 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, ratified by Chile in 1980.
These sites of cultural interest are the Rapa Nui National Park ( 1995), the churches of Chiloé (2000), the historic district of the port city of Valparaíso (2003), the Humberstone and Santa Laura saltpeter offices (2005) and the mining town of Sewell (2006).
In 1999, Heritage Day was established as a way of recognizing Chile's architectural, cultural and historical heritage.