The Amazon rainforest and the Puerto Princesa Undergound River in Philippines were named among new seven wonders of nature, while Bu Tinah Island of Abu Dhabi settled for a place among the top 14 finalists of the global poll.
Bu Tinah was the only finalist representing the Gulf region among 28 finalists in total, from an original 447 sites from around the world. Vietnam’s Halong Bay and Argentina’s Iguazu Falls were also named among the world’s new seven wonders of nature, according to New7Wonders organisers.
The other three crowned the world’s natural wonders are South Korea’s Jeju Island, Indonesia’s Komodo and South Africa’s Table Mountain. The New7Wonders Foundation in Zurich, Switzerland, the organiser of the global vote, explained in a statement posted on its website that the names of the seven wonders have been announced in alphabetical order and they do not have any ranking.
Final results will be announced early 2012, said the Swiss foundation, warning however that there may yet be changes between the provisional winners and the final list. The results come after a long consultation process lasting from December 2007 to July 2009, when world citizens were asked to put forward sites which they deemed were natural wonders.
More than a million votes were cast to trim the list of more than 440 contenders in over 220 countries down to a shortlist of 77.
Amazon rainforest: The forest covers over a billion acres, encompassing areas in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. At least 40,000 plant species, 3,000 freshwater fish species and more than 370 reptile species exist in the Amazon.
Halong Bay: Vietnam’s attraction is made up of 1,600 islands and islets. The islands are dotted with caves, most of which can only be reached by a charter boat. It was first listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1994.
Iguazu Falls: The site in Argentina is a network of 275 different waterfalls spanning an area that is 3 kilometres wide. The part with the largest volume of water is the narrow horseshoe of the Devil’s Throat, which cradles between Argentina and Brazil. Unesco declared the Iguazu Falls as a World Heritage Area in 1986.
Jeju Island: South Korea’s subtropical volcanic island is located 130 kilometres off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula. It is known for its scenic mountains, waterfalls, forests, caves and beaches. In 2002, Unesco declared Jeju a “biosphere reserve”, and listed it as a World Natural Heritage Site in 2007. In 2010, it was awarded “geopark” status.
Komodo: Indonesia’s Komodo island is famous for its unique fauna and its unusual inhabitant, the Komodo dragon, which is considered the world’s largest living lizard. Komodo island also features a beach with pink sand – one of only seven in the world.
Puerto Princesa Underground River: The underground river in the Philippines is reputed to be the longest navigable underground river in the world. It can be reached through an organised boat ride. To enter the river, one needs to go on a short hike from Sabang town in Puerto Princesa. One of the river’s distinguishing features is that it emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area has some of the most important forests in Asia and is home to more than 250 bird species, 800 plant species and at least 295 types of trees. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999.
Table Mountain: This tourist hotspot in South Africa is a level plateau edged by impressive cliffs. The plateau forms a dramatic backdrop to Cape Town. The mountain’s vegetation landscape, home to at least 2,200 plant species, is a protected area and is a World Heritage Site.
