Washington/Quebec City  - Landlocked San Marino, the tiny, affluent republic surrounded by Italy, Monday joined the countries that are home to World Heritage sites.

The UNESCO committee meeting in Canada on the designations agreed that the San Marino historic centre and Mount Titano, which cover 55 hectares, represent the "contunity of a free republic since the Middle Ages" through their architecture and fortifications.

The cultural identity has been preserved "thanks to its position on top of Mount Titano," where it avoided the "urban transformations that have occurred from the advent of the industrial era to today," the panel said. (dpa)