28 finalists named in '7 Wonders of Nature' poll

Wednesday 22nd July, 06:44 AM JST

GENEVA —

The Grand Canyon, the Matterhorn and the Great Barrier Reef are competing with 25 other spectacular natural landmarks in the final phase of the global poll to choose the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.”

The Amazon rainforest, the Dead Sea, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and Ecuador’s Galapagos islands are also among the finalists, the organization New 7 Wonders led by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber said on Tuesday.

People can vote by Internet or phone. The winners will be announced in 2011 and share in the glory already enjoyed by the seven man-made wonders chosen two years ago.

Over 1 billion people are expected to join in the voting, Weber said.

“This campaign should contribute to the appreciation—to the knowledge—of our environment and not just the one in our country but worldwide,” he told The Associated Press. “If we or our children want to save anything, we should first appreciate it.”

The finalists also include Azerbaijan’s Mud Volcanoes, Lebanon’s Jeita Grotto, Ireland’s Moher Cliffs and Germany’s Black Forest.

A panel of experts chose the finalists among the 77 nominees that gained the most votes in an early round of polling. People had suggested 261 landmarks in countries all over the world.

The panel chaired by Federico Mayor, former chief of UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, picked the finalists depending on geographical balance, diversity and the importance to human life.

Weber said he was happy the nominees included places that lie in more than one country, such as the Dead Sea or the Amazon rainforest, which makes people work together across borders.

High voter participation has come from Asian countries, including Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, as well as from Latin America, he said.

“U.S. voters’ participation is always quite high,” he added.

Africa, where most people vote by mobile phones, has had the biggest increase in votes over the last few weeks, Weber said.

Weber declined to give any specific numbers of votes so far. But the organization plans to release details about voter profiles later. Registration on the website aims to prevent people from voting twice.

Around 100 million people voted in the selection of the seven manmade wonders in 2007. The winners were the Colosseum, Italy; the Great Wall of China; the Taj Mahal, India; Petra, Jordan; Christ the Redeemer Statue, Brazil; Machu Picchu, Peru; and the Pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico.

Choosing world wonders has been a continuing fascination over the centuries. UNESCO keeps updating its list of World Heritage Sites, which now totals 890 places.

The New 7 Wonders campaign aims to promote cultural diversity by supporting, preserving and restoring monuments and natural sites. It relies on private donations and revenue from broadcasting rights.

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On the Net:

Full list of the finalists on: http://www.new7wonders.com/

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13 Comments

plasticmonkey at 08:17 AM JST - 22nd July

no Mt Fuji?
smithinjapan at 09:08 AM JST - 22nd July

I think this is pretty cool, but I also think that having so many 'Wonders', Heritage Sites, Important (vs. unimportant?) Cultural Assets, National Treasures, and what not tends to devalue things somewhat.
neverknow2 at 10:03 AM JST - 22nd July

no Mt Fuji?

Man made roads and paths are not part of the wonders.
bushlover at 10:59 AM JST - 22nd July

Why only 7? Why not 10? What makes us limit it to that number?
JoeBigs at 11:09 AM JST - 22nd July

neverknow2 at 10:03 AM JST - 22nd July no Mt Fuji? Man made roads and paths are not part of the wonders.

Mt Fuji is a mountain and not a road or man made.

bushlover at 10:59 AM JST - 22nd July Why only 7? Why not 10? What makes us limit it to that number?

Same theme as the 7 wonders of the world and not 10 wonders of the world.
hoserfella at 11:39 AM JST - 22nd July

The finalists also include Azerbaijan’s Mud Volcanoes, Lebanon’s Jeita Grotto, Ireland’s Moher Cliffs and Germany’s Black Forest

JoeBigs - I didn't realize these were man-made
JoeBigs at 01:01 PM JST - 22nd July

hoserfella at 11:39 AM JST - 22nd July The finalists also include Azerbaijan’s Mud Volcanoes, Lebanon’s Jeita Grotto, Ireland’s Moher Cliffs and Germany’s Black Forest JoeBigs - I didn't realize these were man-made

The word of the day is theme;

theme (thm) n. 1. A topic of discourse or discussion. 2. A subject of artistic representation.

'7 Wonders of Nature' I think by using the word,"Nature" gives it away as being natural and not man made.

The theme that is being used here is the same used in,"The 7 Wonders of the world".....
hoserfella at 01:43 PM JST - 22nd July

JoeBigs, we clearly have man-made wonders here (Christ the Redeemer) as well as natural wonders (Black Forest). I think the only "theme" I see is of someone who spoke before he knew what he was going on about.
SushiSake3 at 04:13 PM JST - 22nd July

"Around 100 million people voted in the selection of the seven manmade wonders"

They missed Tokyo's Shinjuku station at rush hour where a train comes and leaves every 90 seconds.
JoeBigs at 05:58 PM JST - 22nd July

hoserfella at 01:43 PM JST - 22nd July JoeBigs, we clearly have man-made wonders here (Christ the Redeemer) as well as natural wonders (Black Forest). I think the only "theme" I see is of someone who spoke before he knew what he was going on about.

Okay, keep on trucking there dudester. Don't forget, theme of something does not mean much to anyone unless they know what the theme is....

BTW you are correct about Christ the Redeemer being one of those man made ones. I did like that....LOL
hoserfella at 11:14 PM JST - 22nd July

Ok, Ill keep on truckin' there, Chief. But tell me, what is this "theme" u keep mentioning? And did u really laugh out loud at the Christ statue for some reason? Is that some hint that you are anti-religion? You seem confused...
JoeBigs at 11:41 PM JST - 22nd July
hoserfella at 11:14 PM JST - 22nd July But tell me, what is this "theme" u keep mentioning?

Okay since you asked, have you ever heard of the "seven wonders of the world?"

I am not trying to insult ya.... They were the seven wonder of the ancient world.... They were;
1. Great Pyramid of Giza
2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
6. Colossus of Rhodes (my favorite)
7. Lighthouse of Alexandria (second best in my book)
These were called the Seven Wonders of the World.....

But over time they have changed to....

If you want to know what they changed too, just google or ask. I have no qualms about talking about them.

Now the theme is the,"7 Wonders of Nature".....do you see why they are using 7? Again, I am not trying to insult dude, I am telling you where they got the term "7 wonders" and why they are not using 10......

Get it? Dude, no insult, honest...

hoserfella at 11:14 PM JST - 22nd July Ok, Ill keep on truckin' there, Chief.

You appear offended by my reply when you should not be at all...

hoserfella at 11:14 PM JST - 22nd July And did u really laugh out loud at the Christ statue for some reason? Is that some hint that you are anti-religion? You seem confused...

Confused? How so? I do not follow your religion. Why would I be confused? I really thought you were making some joke as to jesus being on of the wonders of the world when the wonders of the world are listed above.

Your religions was never listed as one of the wonders of the world. Nor was any other religion. What was listed was and is man made things.....

Not saying that religions was not a man mad thing. Which in my views it was. But no religions has ever been listed as a wonder of the world.

That is where the "LOL" lies.....LOL implies that I am finding this funny because religion was never placed as a wonder.

I am not trying to offend you nor am I trying to play you, but to help out check out this.

Just read this and enjoy the read, and really really do not take offense because none is intended.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wondersofthe_World

I really thought you understood where they got the term from......

BTW the great wall in my book should be number one. No other man made object is nor has been greater....

7 Wonders of the World.

Not 7 Religious Wonder of the World.....
bushlover at 07:28 AM JST - 23rd July

[, I am not trying to insult dude, I am telling you where they got the term "7 wonders" and why they are not using 10......] There were 7 at that time. Doesn't mean we have to limit it to that now. There could be 100s now. Limiting it to 7 is truly ancient thinking. I guess the blinders are on. Who's conservative now?