This description provides an overview of the national monuments of the United States. These monuments are a collection of sites and structures that have been designated by the U.S. government as having national significance. They are located throughout the country and represent a wide range of history, culture, and natural beauty
The United States has 138 protected areas known as national monuments. The president of the United States can establish a national monument by presidential proclamation, and the United States Congress can do so by legislation. The president's authority arises from the Antiquities Act of 1906, which allows the president to proclaim "historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest" as national monuments.