New 7 Wonders 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 the second in a series of Internet-based polls led by Swiss-born Canadian Bernard Weber and organized by the New 7 Wonders Foundation, a Swiss-based foundation which Weber founded. The initiative followed an earlier New 7 Wonders of the World campaign and attracted 100 million votes from around the world before voting finished on November 11, 2011.
Stages of the campaign
The New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign started in 2007, immediately after the campaign to elect the man-made New 7 Wonders 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 New 7 Wonders World Tour planned to visit each of the finalists to allow them to present themselves to the voters across the globe.The top 77
Criticisms Indonesia's Vice-Minister for Tourism said the company running the New 7 Wonders campaign used underhanded tactics, threatening to remove Indonesia's Komodo National Park from the list if Indonesia refused to host a declaration ceremony for $35M. Nothing in the New 7 Wonders voting procedure prohibited repetitive voting, making the results subject to government and tourism industry campaigns to vote often for local sites with the financial incentive of increased tourism. Although New 7 Wonders is a non-profit organization that under US law has absolutely no disclosure of accounts, many activities related to administering voting and other logistical duties are run by the for-profit organization New Open World Corporation.
Winners Site(s) Country/Countries Image Amazon Rainforest and River , , , (France), , , , Hạ Long Bay Jeju Island Iguazú / Iguaçu Falls , Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Komodo Island (National Park) Table Mountain (National Park)
Finalists Site Country Image Bu Tinah Shoals Dead Sea Great Barrier Reef Jeita Grotto Kilimanjaro (National Park) Masurian Lake District Sundarbans Maldives Angel Falls Bay of Fundy (National Park) Black Forest Cliffs of Moher El Yunque Galapagos Islands (National Park) Grand Canyon (National Park) Matterhorn / Cervino , Milford Sound Mud Volcanoes Uluru (National Park) Vesuvius (National Park) Yushan (National Park)
Top 77 SiteCountryAl-hasa OasisAskania-NovaAtacama DesertAzure WindowBelogradchik RocksBialowieza Forest/ Chicamocha CanyonChristmas IslandCoatepeque LakeCocos IslandColca CanyonConchiCox's BazarDean's Blue HoleDjavolja VarosDouro RiverEisriesenweltFernando de NoronhaHan-Sur-LesseKaieteur FallsKaziranga National ParkLaguna ColoradaLake AtitlanLake BledLake Ohrid/ Lake Saiful MalukLake SaimaaLake Titicaca/ Mount OlympusNorfolk Island (National Park)Ometepe IslandPlatano ForestPravcice GateRetezat (National Park)Rock of AphroditeSinharaja RainforestSipadan IslandSossusvleiŠtrbské Pleso LakeSumidero CanyonThy National ParkVrelo Caves in Matka CanyonWadi Rum
See also New 7 Wonders Cities New 7 Wonders of the World Wonders of the World
References
External links
TV segment on Canada AM where travel expert Loren Christie explains the voting procedure