According to New7Wonders, the company that organized the international competition, there were initially about 440 places on the shortlist, but seven provisional winners have now been selected. Official results will be announced early next year, but for now the list of seven seats that received more than a million votes is as follows.

1. Iguazu Falls, located on the river of the same name, is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. They extend over 2,700 meters in length, forming a series of semicircular shapes. Of the 275 individual waterfalls that together make up Iguazu Falls, the highest is the Devil's Throat.
2. The water here falls from a height of about 80 meters. This wonder of the world is located on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana and the Argentine province of Misiones and is surrounded by two national parks. Both parks are subtropical forests that are home to hundreds of rare and endangered species of plants and animals.
3. Amazon and Amazonian jungle
4. The Amazon Rainforest, also known as the Amazon, the Amazon or the Amazon Jungle, includes 7 million square kilometers of impenetrable jungle, spread out across the Amazon Rainforest, also known as the Amazon, Amazon or Amazon Jungle, includes 7 million square kilometers of impenetrable jungles spread across nine countries. The Amazon is home to more than half of all the tropical forests remaining on the planet and is one of the richest in flora and fauna.
5. Jeju Island or Jeju (Cheju-do) is geographically located in the Korea Strait, 130 km from the coast of the Republic of Korea. Jeju-do is of volcanic origin, which arose about 2 million years ago. The area occupied by the island is 1845 square meters. km. The island is home to the Hallasan volcano, which is the highest point in the country (1950m). Hallasan is surrounded by 360 small satellite volcanoes.
6. Jeju-do is famous for the magnificent system of lava tubes (caves) Geomunoreum, created during a volcanic eruption 100 - 300 thousand years ago. There are five caves. The temperature in the caves is about 11-21°C. The Jeju-do tunnels are decorated with natural stone stalactites and columns. The only natural lake in the country is located in the volcano's caldera. There are waterfalls. The climate is predominantly subtropical. Jeju Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
7. The underground rivers of Puerto Princesa and the national park of the same name are located about 50 kilometers from the city of Puerto Princesa in the Philippines. An impressive feature of this place is the mountain with an 8.2 kilometer long underground river. In addition to its “underground” nature, this river is also beautiful because, upon exiting the mountain, it flows directly into the South China Sea.
8. The river-cave is decorated with numerous stalactites and stalagmites, as well as several large grottoes. This is the longest underground river in the world. The mouth of the cave is lined with ancient trees growing right next to the water, and the beach near the entrance to the cave provides shelter for various animals.
9. Komodo National Park is geographically located between the islands of Flores and Sumbawa, Indonesia. The park includes three islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar and several smaller islands.
10. The total area of ​​the park is 75 thousand hectares. The park has a fairly diverse flora and fauna. Including the Komodo dragon (Komodo dragon), the largest lizard on Earth. Komodo National Park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
11. Ha Long Bay (Ha Long) is located on the coast of the South China Sea, Vietnam. Halong is famous for the fact that there are many islets of various sizes and shapes (including “sculpted” ones) scattered throughout the bay. There are about 2000 islands, made of limestone. 12. Ha Long Bay means "Bay of the Descending Dragons". Also in the bay you can find caves and grottoes, and admire stalactites and stalagmites. Ha Long Bay is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
13. Table Mountain or Tafelberg is located on the coast of Table Bay near Cape Town, South Africa. Table Mountain rises 1086 m above sea level, with vertical slopes and a flat top, hence the name of the mountain. The mountain consists of several famous sections.
14. Table Mountain proper plateau, Devil's Peak, Twelve Apostles Peak, Lion's Head Peak. As a landmark of Cape Town, Table Mountain attracts tourists from all over the world. You can climb the mountain by cable car.

Incredible facts

While ancient and modern architectural monuments included in the list Seven Wonders of the World continue to capture our imagination, there are places of unparalleled natural beauty that are worth exploring.

Project was created to protect and promote the original seven natural wonders of the world.

A natural wonder of the world is considered a natural object or natural monument that was not created or modified by man. Here are seven wonders of the world that still exist, and which we never cease to amaze and admire.

1. Grand Canyon, North America

This huge gorge, located in Arizona and created by the Colorado River, reaches 446 km in length, from 6 to 29 km in width and about 1.6 km in depth. Most of the canyon is located on the territory Grand Canyon National Park. Although it is not considered the steepest or longest canyon in the world, it is recognized as a natural wonder due to its overall scope and size and, of course, because of the beautiful landscape.

The Grand Canyon is where 4 geological eras of the Earth can be traced. Some lava flows date back to the Cenozoic era, the canyon walls are carved by horizontal layers of Paleozoic era rocks, and lower layers date back to the oldest Precambrian period.

The Grand Canyon can be seen from various points, offering incomparable views. You can explore the Grand Canyon on an overnight backpacking trip, rafting trip, or walking tour.

2. Great Barrier Reef, Oceania

Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea along the Queensland coast in northeastern Australia. Stretching over more than 2500 km, Great Barrier Reef represents largest reef system in the world.

Its total area is approximately 348,698 sq. km. It consists of 2900 individual reefs, 900 islands, supporting the world's most diverse ecosystem, including vulnerable and critically endangered species, some of which are endemic. It is home to about 30 species of whales, dolphins and guinea pigs, 6 species of sea turtles, 15 species of algae, about 125 species of sharks and rays, about 5 thousand species of mollusks, 9 species of seahorses, 7 species of frogs, 17 species of sea snakes, more than 1,500 species of fish and 400 species of corals - and these are just marine organisms.

The reef structure itself is made up of billions of small organisms known as coral polyps. The expanse of the Great Barrier Reef can be seen from space.

Most of the reefs are protected Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps limit human impacts such as overfishing and tourism. Other threats to reefs and their ecosystems include deteriorating water quality due to runoff and global warming, which is accompanied by mass coral bleaching.

3. Port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro means " January river". Guanabara Bay - largest bay in the world, located around Rio de Janeiro, is surrounded by granite monolithic mountains such as Sugar Loaf, whose height reaches 396 m, mountain Corcovado, on top of which is the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, and the hills Tijucas. Guanabara Bay arose due to erosion in the Atlantic Ocean. Local residents are so proud of their geological habitat that they often say: " God created the world in 6 days, and on the seventh day he concentrated on Rio".

Once a tropical flowering forest, it is now used as a harbor for supertankers and yachts. Unfortunately, the expanses of the bay are gradually decreasing. With the availability of usable land, the land mass was changed significantly. The renovated land now houses an airport, a six-lane highway, parks and beaches, a modern art museum and other 20th-century attractions.

4. Everest, Asia

The highest mountain in the world also known as Chomolungma reaches up to 8852 m in height and is located in the Himalayas on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Shifting tectonic plates push Everest upward along with the entire Himalayan mountain system, contributing to its growth by 4-9 mm per year.

The best way to explore Mount Everest is by hiking to the base of the mountain. More experienced representatives can climb to the upper base camp. However, the Nepalese government now requires would-be climbers to have an expensive climbing permit.

The best time of year to explore Everest is considered to be autumn, from October to November, when the dry season begins. To prepare physically and mentally for the climb, climbers need to be in excellent physical shape and able to carry at least 13.5 kg of weight.

5. Aurora

This naturally occurring glow appears in all its glory in the sky above the magnetic poles. Best known Northern lights, but it also occurs Southern Lights in the southern hemisphere. The aurora does not have specific and constant parameters, such as color, size or pattern. It looks like luminous layers or dancing waves.

The aurora is the result of the emission of photons in the Earth's upper atmosphere from ionized nitrogen atoms that have recovered electrons and oxygen and nitrogen atoms that have returned from an excited state to the ground state. They are ionized and excited by the collision of solar wind particles, which are directed downward, while accelerating along the lines of force of the Earth's geomagnetic field. Oxygen emissions are greenish or reddish-brown in color depending on the energy absorbed. Nitrogen emissions are blue and red.

The chances of seeing the Northern Lights increase as you get closer to the magnetic poles, e.g. Arctic Islands Canada. Unfortunately, quite It's hard to predict when the aurora will appear, but most often it is observed from March to April and from September to October.

6. Volcano Paricutin, South America

This active volcano in the state Michoacan in Mexico it is considered the youngest in America. This the first birth of a volcano that people were able to observe. Also the volcano became fastest growing volcano, reaching three-quarters of its size in the first year. The last time the Paricutin volcano erupted was in 1952, and its height reached about 336 m.

In general, volcanism is common in Mexico. Paricutin the youngest of the 1,400 volcanic craters that exist in Trans-Mexican volcanic belt and in America. Its uniqueness lies precisely in the fact that its formation was observed from the very beginning. About 3 people are known to have died as a result of lightning strikes caused by the eruptions, but the deaths were not related to the lava itself.

7. Victoria Falls, Africa

This waterfall in southern Africa borders Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its width is 1800 m and its height is 128 m, making it largest waterfall in the world. Victoria Falls is also called Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means " thundering smoke".

The rainy season from late November to early April adds to the majesty of the falls, but due to the large amount of water, it is quite difficult to see the base of the falls. On any day you can see a rainbow here, which is brightest in the morning. The spray from the waterfall can rise 400 meters or higher, and can be seen at a distance of up to 50 km.

Victoria Falls almost three times higher than Niagara Falls and twice as wide Canadian Falls. In height and width, Victoria Falls can only be compared with South American waterfalls Iguazu.

The global competition to identify the seven new natural wonders of the world, in which more than 220 countries took part over the past four years, has ended.
The competition organizers announced preliminary results, which will be checked and finally confirmed in early 2012.

The list of 7 new natural wonders of the world includes:

1. Amazon jungle.

Amazon rainforest (aka Amazon and Amazon jungle). It is believed that they cover 7 million km² of territory in nine countries, although today the forest itself occupies “only” 5.5 million km². It contains more than half of the planet's remaining tropical forests, and is the most species-rich tropical forest ecosystem. In addition, the Amazon River is considered the largest in the world in terms of volume. Plus, its total water flow is greater than that of all other rivers included in the top ten. It accounts for about one fifth of the world's total river flow. The Amazon also has the largest basin. And there is not a single bridge.

2. Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

Ha Long Bay is located in the Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh. The length of the coastline is 120 km, the area is about 1,553 km². It consists of thousands of limestone karsts and 1,969 islands of various sizes and shapes. Some of the islands are hollow, with huge caves, while others are home to villages of fishermen who catch 200 species of fish and 450 species of shellfish in the shallow waters. Another feature of Ha Long Bay is the abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands. For example, there are as many as six such secret lakes on Dauba.

Ha Long Bay means "Bay of the Descending Dragons". Also in the bay you can find caves and grottoes, and admire stalactites and stalagmites. Ha Long Bay is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3. Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.

The Iguazu River waterfalls are among the largest in the world. They extend over 2,700 m and have a semicircular shape. Of the 275 waterfalls, the highest is the Devil's Throat - 80 m. The waterfalls are located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, surrounded by subtropical forests that are home to hundreds of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.

This wonder of the world is located on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana and the Argentine province of Misiones and is surrounded by two national parks. Both parks are subtropical forests that are home to hundreds of rare and endangered species of plants and animals.

4. South Korean island of Jeju.

Jeju Island or Jeju (Cheju-do) is an island of volcanic origin 130 km from the southern coast of Korea, the largest island and the smallest province of the country (1,846 km²). Its main attraction is Hallasan, the highest mountain in South Korea and an extinct volcano (1,950 m). It is surrounded by 360 satellite volcanoes.

Jeju-do is famous for the magnificent system of lava tubes (caves) Geomunoreum, created during a volcanic eruption 100 - 300 thousand years ago. There are five caves. The temperature in the caves is about 11-21°C. The Jeju-do tunnels are decorated with natural stone stalactites and columns. The only natural lake in the country is located in the volcano's caldera. There are waterfalls. The climate is predominantly subtropical. Jeju Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5. Komodo National Park in Indonesia.

Indonesia's Komodo National Park includes three large islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as many small ones (total area 1,817 km², land area - 603 km²). Founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later it was focused on the protection of other species, including marine animals. The islands are of volcanic origin.

The total area of ​​the park is 75 thousand hectares. The park has a fairly diverse flora and fauna. Including the Komodo dragon (Komodo dragon), the largest lizard on Earth. Komodo National Park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

6. Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines.

Puerto Princesa Underground River National Park is located about 50 km north of the Philippine city of the same name. The 8.2 km long river is navigable and flows into the South China Sea. Navigators can see stalactites, stalagmites and large karst caves. It is considered the longest underground river.

The river-cave is decorated with numerous stalactites and stalagmites, as well as several large grottoes. This is the longest underground river in the world. The mouth of the cave is lined with ancient trees growing right next to the water, and the beach near the entrance to the cave provides shelter for various animals.

7. Table Mountain in South Africa.

Table Mountain or Tafelberg is the symbol of South Africa and the only object on the planet to have a constellation named after it. The flat-topped mountain (1,086 m) has withstood 6 million years of erosion. It is home to the richest, but also the smallest flower kingdom on earth (more than 1,470 plant species), including many rare and endangered species.

The Table Mountain plateau itself, Devil's Peak, Twelve Apostles Peak, Lion's Head Peak. As a landmark of Cape Town, Table Mountain attracts tourists from all over the world. You can climb the mountain by cable car.

“We congratulate each of these participants on achieving provisional New7wonders status and look forward to completing the confirmation process so we can recognize them at an official ceremony in early 2012,” said New7wonders founder-president Bernard Weber, announcing the competition results at the organization's headquarters in Zurich.

For almost four years, votes have been selected for the best natural wonder of the planet. More than four hundred protected natural areas of the world were included in the list of candidates for the seven new wonders of the world. As a result of popular voting, 7 new wonders of the world, seven amazingly beautiful territories of the planet received the right to the final selection.

Natural wonders of the planet - seven wonders of the world

1. Iguazu Falls is located among bizarre piles of rocks, on the border of two countries - Brazil and. Huge streams of water make noise, foam, break up into millions of splashes, sparkling, forming several rainbows. The river has 275 waterfalls along its entire length, the highest flow falling from a height of 72 meters.

2. Mysterious places in Halong Bay are called “the place of dragons.” Straight out of the emerald waves of the South China Sea rise scattered unusual outlines of rocks, reminiscent of a Dragon, a Man's Head, Roosters, and a Sail. These colorful islands have many caves and grottoes. The slopes are covered with forest, steep and difficult to access, mostly uninhabited. There are more than a thousand of them. Salty sea lakes are hidden behind the limestone ledges of the rocks.

3. The Amazon River winds its way through the territories of several countries. It has an incredibly huge water pool, which becomes even larger during the rainy season, spreading over a width of about one hundred kilometers. What makes the pool unique is the Amazonian thickets - it is basically an impenetrable jungle. The number of species of flora and fauna is endless. One of the wonders of the river is the huge, round, green water lilies.

4. The Indonesian island of Komodo is magnificent, with a beautiful coral reef consisting of tiny marine invertebrate inhabitants. The miracle of the island is the large dangerous monitor lizards that live on it. The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard on the planet and hunts quite large animals.

Komodo Island

5. Jeju Island in South Korea, created by nature from basalt lava, with the once formidable Hallasan volcano and many wonderful parks, is a great place for. The island is transformed in spring when the cherry blossoms bloom.

Jeju Island

6. Beautiful protected areas of Puerto Princesa in the Philippines, where a large underground river flows. It starts in one of the caves, which has many stalactites and stalagmites.

Puerto Princesa

Droplets of water, penetrating into the underground caves from above, form relief piles consisting of limestone crystals - stone icicles. Those that hang on the roof of the grotto are called stalactites, and the candles that grow on the floor are called stalagmites. Some stalactites grow sideways and upward, sometimes connecting and forming bizarre columns.

7. High mountain range - Table Mountain in the Republic of South Africa, with a table cut off the top, a flat plateau with the peaks of the 12 Apostles and Devil's Peak. You can climb to the top of the unusual mountain by cable car. From the height of the ridge you can see protected areas, a mountain lake, and you can see the ocean and the city of Cape Town in the distance.

The nature of our planet is so amazing and beautiful that when we travel, every time we discover new horizons, the most beautiful places, countries and cities - new wonders of the world.

Pyramids of Giza

Every person, regardless of the level of education and social status, has heard about seven wonders of the world, representing the greatest monuments of human civilization since ancient times. Few people remember the entire list, and almost all of them have not survived, however, even in our time, attempts are being made to compile new, alternative lists of attractions that can compete with the ancient creations of human genius.

The first who tried to formulate human achievements in the form list of wonders of the world, were the ancient authors of ancient Hellas, whose written heritage has survived to this day.

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Zeus statue in Olympia

The "father of history" Herodotus was the first to point out the architectural wonders that existed in his time. His work mentions three majestic structures on the Greek island of Samos - a mountain tunnel, a temple of Hera and a dam.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Beginning with Herodotus, the list of attractions grew, changed and was supplemented by other Greek authors until it was formulated in its final form as a list of seven points.

Historically and geographically 7 Wonders of the Ancient World are related to the territories conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.

They were scattered throughout all the territories of the Ecumene - from ancient Egypt to Babylon and ancient Greece.

mausoleum in Halicarnassus

The most ancient wonder of the world, but ironically the only one that has survived to this day is the main Egyptian attraction - The Pyramid of Cheops, included in the complex. When selecting the new Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramid was awarded the title of “Honorary Candidate”.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Second wonder of the world, semi-mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon, existed for 7 centuries until they died in a flood of the 1st century BC.

The third miracle, huge Temple statue of Zeus at Olympia, made of ivory, precious woods and inlaid with gold, stood for 9 centuries, but burned down in a fire in the 5th century AD.

In the Turkish city of Selcuk you can still see the ruins of the fourth wonder of the world, Temple of Artemis in, which at one time exceeded the size of the huge temple of Jupiter in.

Statue of the Colossus of Rhodes

Halicarnassus Mausoleum lasted longer than all other attractions of the ancient world (with the exception of the Pyramid of Cheops).

This amazing architectural monument stood proudly for 19 centuries, but the elements overcame it too - the mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake.

Lighthouse in Alexandria

The ruins of the colossal structure can currently be seen in Bodrum, Turkey.

Earthquakes also destroyed two other ancient monuments - a bronze statue of the Colossus of Rhodes(destroyed in the 3rd century BC) and in Egypt (destroyed in the 14th century).

New seven wonders of the world

At the beginning of the 21st century, on July 7, 2007, on the day of the “three sevens,” new seven wonders of the world were named in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, each of which could well compete with lost architectural treasures.

The project was organized by the non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC) on the initiative of the Swiss Bernard Weber. The selection of the new seven wonders of the world from the famous architectural structures of the world took place via SMS messages, telephone or Internet. About 100 million votes were taken as part of the selection of attractions, but since the conditions did not prohibit voting more than once, this list began to be questionable almost immediately after publication.

However, at present this is the most famous of such ratings and therefore, along with it, is the main guide for tourists actively traveling around the world with

The great Wall of China

One of the undisputed leaders of the list is one of the largest and oldest architectural monuments in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, in one of the sections it passes near Beijing. Construction began in the 3rd century BC. e. during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. A fifth of the then population of the country, i.e., about a million people, took part in the construction.

Today the wall is a symbol of China, both for the Chinese themselves and for foreigners. At the entrance to the restored part of the Wall you can see an inscription made by Mao Zedong - “If you have not visited the Great Wall of China, you are not a real Chinese.”

Machu Picchu

The famous statue of Jesus Christ, with outstretched arms and gaze turned towards the city, stands on the top of Mount Corcovado in. At the foot of the monument there is an observation deck, which offers amazing views of the sandy beaches, the huge bowl, the bay and the Sugarloaf peak, similar in its outline to a lump of sugar.

White Temple Wat Rong Khun

Along with the main lists of wonders of the world, new, alternative lists exist and continue to be compiled - author’s and based on survey results.

Statue of Liberty in New York

As a modern alternative to the famous the Pyramid of Cheops a glass pyramid of Paris (France) was proposed.

The most striking among modern temple complexes is considered to be the Buddhist one opened in 1997 in Thailand. This temple, according to journalists, is quite capable of eclipsing the ruins Temple of Artemis in Other similar structures include one built in 1604 in Amritsar (India), in (Japan) and Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (Spain).

Temple complex Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Dubai "Garden of Miracles"(UAE), where on an area of ​​72 thousand square meters. m grow 45 million flowers, also (according to journalists) can compete with Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The royal botanical records also fully comply with the formal criteria. Kew Gardens(UK), Royal Flower Park Keukenhof(Netherlands) and gardens (France).

Compare with 137-meter Alexandria lighthouse in terms of beauty these days, lighthouses in Lindau(Germany) and lighthouse "Cape Florida"(USA). And the lighthouse Jeddah(Saudi Arabia) almost catches up with Alexandria in height - 133 meters.

Acropolis in Athens

Statue of Zeus at Olympia, according to the logic of journalists, today it may eclipse Golden Buddha in (Thailand) - the world's largest golden statue of a deity. At the same time, it does not matter at all that Buddha is not nearly as stern and angry as Zeus the Thunderer.

And Mausoleum at Halicarnassus there were followers in the modern world, this title was awarded to the mausoleum and Mausoleum of V.I.Lenin in Moscow.

Alhambra Palace and Fortress

And finally, the statue Colossus of Rhodes journalists compared it with a statue in (Brazil), which is comparable to the ancient structure not only in height, but also in its location by the sea.

At the same time, some new lists of wonders of our time are deliberately narrowed to cover sites by location or time of creation.

Easter Island

For example, ratings by country have been repeatedly compiled (in Russia, Portugal, Belgium and others) or exceptional objects of the underwater world have been identified (cracks, reefs, islands and even underwater ruins).

The finals of the competition for the title of man-made new wonders of the world also included other equally worthy attractions, and some of them, in the opinion of many people, are much more worthy of being on the final list of “the very best.”

Timbuktu

In particular, obvious competition could come from the American one, which is larger in size and installed 40 years earlier. . It is also quite surprising that the final list of seven wonders does not mention the Cambodian - the largest religious building ever created by people.

All these great monuments of human civilization were on the list of contenders, along with, Sydney Opera, in Spanish Granada, Eiffel Tower, Moscow Kremlin,, moai sculptures on, a castle, a Buddhist temple in and the city.

Seven new wonders of nature

Iguazu Falls

Komodo Park

Seven new wonders of nature is a competition also organized by the Swiss non-profit organization New Open World Corporation (NOWC), which, through a worldwide popular vote, has found the seven most amazing natural places on Earth.

Project "Seven New Wonders of Nature" started at the end of 2007. Until 07/07/09, the nomination and preliminary selection of all candidates took place, among whom was the Russian natural pearl - Lake Baikal. Voting was completed by the mystical date - 11/11/11.

Among the main natural wonders are the longest river in the world - Amazon and its jungle; The largest underground river is in the Philippines.