There are many stunning sights across our great planet, and one competition aims to give them some well-deserved kudos. The New 7 Wonders of Nature contest reached its finale today, with seven destinations winning the prestigious title.
What’s all the fuss about? In 2001, the New 7 Wonders Foundation formed to raise awareness about modern marvels in the tradition of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Over 1 million people from over 200 countries nominated their favourite human-made wonders and voted to select the final seven.
No sooner did one competition end then the foundation launched a new campaign — this time focusing on natural wonders. As with the original competition, the goal is raise awareness about these great places and to create lasting knowledge and memories.
Here’s how it works: In the first stage of the competition, nominees come in from around the world — about 440 of them, in fact. The first voting process narrowed that number down to 77 contenders, then the New 7 Wonders panel of experts thinned the ranks to 28 finalists. (In order to stay in the competition, places had to have financial backing and local support as well as voter support.)
Next, the 28 contenders were put to popular vote — anyone from around the world could choose their favourite seven. This final round of voting ended today — November 11, 2011 — at precisely 11:11 am GMT. Preliminary winners were just announced.
Here are the results:
The New 7 Wonders of Nature
Amazon
Halong Bay
Iguazu Falls
Jeju Island
Komodo
Puerto Princesa Underground River
Table Mountain
Unfortunately, Canada’s darling — the Bay of Fundy — didn’t make the cut. Neither did some popular spots like the the Dead Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, Jeita Grotto, or Mount Kilimanjaro. Though not among the top seven, some might say there aren’t any losers to this competition. Even being in the top 28 earns some bragging rights — not to mention international recognition.
Remember, these seven are just the preliminary results: the actual winners won’t be formally announced until 2012 during the Official Inauguration ceremonies. First, experts have to make a final count and validate the results. (Read the announcement.)
So what’s next? In the meantime, New 7 Wonders Foundation has already announced its next competition: The New7Wonders Cities. It’s never too early to get involved — you have until December 31, 2011 to nominate your favourite city. (Make your suggestion here.)
Do you agree with these choices? Which places would you have liked to see win?
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