JINAN    -    The United Nations Educational, Scien­tific and Cultural Organiza­tion (UNESCO) has approved Yimeng Mountain in east Chi­na’s Shandong Province as a Global Geopark, according to local authorities. The moun­tain is the second UNESCO Global Geopark in the prov­ince after Mount Tai. The prov­ince has 13 national geoparks and 51 provincial geoparks, ranking first in China in both categories. There are abundant geological resources in stratigraphy, pale­ontology, and deposit in Yimeng Mountain, according to the ex­perts from the China University of Geosciences. The purpose of establishing geoparks is to protect important and rare geological re­sources and natural environment, carry out geoscience research and promote the sustainable de­velopment of the local society,” said Li Chengjin, an official with the provincial department of natural resources.