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New7Wonders of Nature

• New7Wonders of Nature (2007-2011) was an initiative started in 2007 to create a list of seven natural wonders chosen by people through a global poll. It was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the New7Wonders Foundation, a Swiss-based foundation. The initiative followed the New7Wonders of the World, which attracted 100 million votes from around the world.

Stages of the campaign

• The New7Wonders of Nature campaign started in 2007, immediately after the campaign to elect the man-made New7Wonders of the World, in which more than 100 million votes were cast. From over 440 participants representing over 220 countries and through a national qualification and race to become one of the Top 77, as well as the recommendations of the Panel of Experts led by Prof. Federico Mayor, the list of 28 "Official Finalist Candidates" was determined. Voting until November 2011, during which time the New7Wonders World Tour planned to visit each of the finalists to allow them to present themselves to the voters across the globe.

Angel FallsThe highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls is located in Venezuela, along the border

with Brazil. The waterfall boasts a height of more than 3,200 feet.

Bay of Fundy (National Park The Bay of Fundy's extreme water flows, caused by the highest tides on earth, have resulted in a diverse marine

ecosystem, and the area is a critical feeding ground for migratory birds. The Bay of Fundy is located between Maine and the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Black Forest

Located east of the Rhine River, between the towns of Karlsruhe, Germany and Basel, Switzerland, Black Forest offers areas jam-packed with evergreens and open farmland.

Cliffs of MoherOne of the most visited tourist sites of Ireland, the vertical Cliffs of Moher tower 650 feet high and plunge

abruptly into the churning Atlantic Ocean.

El YunquePuerto Rico's 28,000-acre El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rain forest in the United States

National Forest System.

Galapagos Islands (National Park)Inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1978, the Galapagos Islands and its marine reserve are home to myriad marine species. Charles Darwin's visit to the islands in 1835 inspired his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Grand Canyon (National Park)This well-known and frequently visited U.S. National Park runs a mile deep, averages 10 miles wide and

was carved out over the past 6 million years.

MaldivesEncompassing 1,192 small islands -- only 200 or so inhabited -- the Maldive Islands are located in the Indian

Ocean. Tourism is the Maldives' largest industry and accounts for nearly 30 percent of its gross domestic product..

MatterhornAt 14,690 feet, the Matterhorn is not even the highest mountain in Switzerland, but it is one of the world's

most photogenic, rising up on four elegant faces to a craggy peak along the Swiss-Italian border.

Milford SoundOne of New Zealand's best-known tourist attractions, Milford Sound attracts about 500,000 visitors each year,

and features rocky cliffs, cascading waterfalls and dense forests.

Mud volcanoesIt is estimated that 300 of the planet's estimated 700 mud volcanoes are found in Gobustan, Azerbaijan

and the Caspian Sea.

Uluru (National Park)Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is a famous Australian destination that rises 1,135 feet above ground. In July, 2009, the national

parks service proposed a plan to ban climbing the sandstone landmark due to safety and environmental reasons.

Vesuvius (National Park)It is the only volcano on Europe's mainland to have eruped in the past 100 years, but Italy's Mount

Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in 79 AD. The explosion and its aftermath destroyed the city of Pompeii.

YushanTaiwan's highest mountain is located in the Yushan National Park. Also called Jade Mountain, Yushan

rises about 13,000 feet above sea level.

Masurian Lake DistrictContaining more than 2,000 lakes, the Masurian Lake District in Poland encompasses an area that spans

about 32,000 square miles.

KilimanjaroKilimanjaro National Park was inscribed to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1987. Mount Kilimanjaro is

the tallest peak in Africa, rising 19,340 feet in the air.

Jeita Grotto The crystallized caves of Jeita Grotto, located north of Beirut.

Great Barrier ReefThis Australian destination is home to 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of molusc, according to UNESCO's Web site. The Great Barrier Reef was added to the World Heritage List in 1981.

Dead SeaThe shoreline surrounding the Dead Sea sits at 1,200 feet below sea level and is the lowest piece of dry land in the world. Environmental organizations warn that the Dead Sea, which sits with the West Bank, Palestine and Isreal to the west and Jordan to the east, will disappear in 50 years if its level continues to drop at the current

rate.

Bu TinahBu Tinah is a tiny archipelago amid extensive coral formations and seagrass beds some 25 km south of Zirku and 35 north of Marawah in the United Arab Emirates. Found in the waters of Abu Dhabi, it is protected as a

private nature reserve.

SundarbansThe Sundarbans delta, located in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, is home to the largest mangrove forest

on the planet. "Sundarban" literally means "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language.

Amazon Rainforest and RiverLake Condor, located deep within the Amazon jungle, reflects the sky , in Peru.

The vast Amazon Rainforest is 1.4 billion acres and is located within nine nations.

Halong BayBecause of its abundance of precipitation, most of the islands of Halong Bay are uninhabited. Located in Quang

Ninh province, Vietnam, it features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes.

Iguazu Falls (National Park)Located in Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls is one of the world's largest waterfalls, extending for almost two miles. Devil's

Throat, right, is the tallest of all the falls. Iguazu Falls is surrounded by two national parks -- both suptropical rainforests.

Jeju IslandJeju Island in South Korea is one of the New7Wonders of Nature announced Nov. 11, 2011. The

results are provisional until voting can be independently verified.

Komodo Island (National Park)Indonesia's Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to protect the endangered Komodo dragon.

Attacks on humans by Komodo dragons are rare, but the animals have a fearsome reputation because their sharp teeth and poisonous saliva can kill a person within days of a bite.

Puerto Princesa Underground RiverThe subterranean river, located in the Philippines, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and winds about 5 miles into the South

China Sea.

Table Mountain (National Park)The city of Cape Town, South Africa from Blouberg Beach on the city's outskirts.

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