The Levuka Historical Port Town in Fiji was added to the UNESCO's World Heritage List on Saturday during the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) here.

It was the first site of Fiji being inscribed on the prestigious list.

Situated at the Island of Ovalau in Lomaiviti province, the historical port town of Levuka was the first colonial capital of Fiji, peacefully ceded to the British in 1874, according to the document of the International Council on Monuments and Sites ( ICOMOS), an advisory body to the WHC on cultural properties.

The site developed from the early 19th century as a center of commercial activity by American and European colonizers in the South Pacific, the document said, adding that warehouses, bond stores, port facilities, and residences, religious, educational and social institutions grew up around the villages of the indigenous population.

The property comprises the area within the Levuka Town boundary and a 100-meter coastal margin extending eastward to a total area of 69.6 hectares.

"Port Town expresses the interchange between the indigenous Fijian and the European cultures, and illustrates the wide range of functions and institutions of European colonization," the ICOMOS said.

"The main streets and lanes, bridges, footpaths, and steps follow the topography, and have remained substantially unchanged since they were first laid out."

Francisco Javier Gutierrez, Vice-Chair of the 37th session, on behalf of the entire committee, expressed congratulations to Fiji on the inscription of the property on the World Heritage List.

The 37th WHC session, taking place in Phnom Penh, will close in Angkor on June 27.