ROME, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Italian government on Friday hailed the news that Sicily's Mount Etna has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which makes it the 48th in the country.
"This is a significant milestone for Italy," Environment Minister Andrea Orlando was quoted as saying by local media.
The organization's recognition, he said, was an opportunity for Italy to "combine environmental protection with the development of the area, by investing in a sustainable growth."
UNESCO said at its annual ceremony held this year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, that the active volcano had "one of the longest documented histories in volcanology" and thus an outstanding universal value.
The 3,350-meter-high Mount Etna, the highest and the widest active volcano in Europe and Mediterranean area, is active from immemorial time.
Its activities have been observed since Greek and Roman classic times and currently represents one of the most popular and visited volcanoes in the world.
Mount Etna is located in north-eastern Sicily Island, in south-western Italy, and represents a unique environment due also to dynamics of eruptions and related volcanic activity that influence habitats and ecological features of the whole region.
Italy is the country which has the largest number of UNESCO heritage sites in the world. Its natural beauties listed in the organization include the Aeolian Islands in the south as well as Mount St. George and the Dolomites in the north.
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