A national historic site is a esignation that an area possesses national historical significance. It may confer protected area status on the site, but not necessarily. Such sites can range in size from small to complex, and may include physical evidence of the subject related to the history being commemorated. Designations are an acknowledgment that what happened in a particular place is worthy of remembrance by people of an entire nation, if not beyond, and sites are often conserved by national authorities.