New7Wonders of the World facts for kids
The New7Wonders of the World was a special project that ran from 2000 to 2007. Its goal was to pick seven new "Wonders of the World" from a list of 200 famous buildings and places. People from all over the globe voted for their favorites.
This big vote was led by Bernard Weber, who is from Canada and Switzerland. It was organized by the New7Wonders Foundation, based in Zürich, Switzerland. The winners were finally announced on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon, Portugal.
The foundation that ran the contest got its money from private donations and by selling ads for TV and radio. They did not use any money from governments or taxpayers. After the winners were announced, the New7Wonders group said they didn't make a profit. They just about got back the money they spent.
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Official Reactions to the Contest
Different countries and groups had different feelings about the New7Wonders contest. Some countries were very proud of their chosen monument and worked hard to get people to vote for it. Others didn't like the contest or thought it wasn't very important.
The United Nations' View
At first, UNESCO (a part of the United Nations that deals with culture and education) helped the New7Wonders Foundation. They gave advice on which places could be nominated. However, UNESCO later decided to stop helping. They explained that they must treat all world heritage sites equally. So, they stepped away from the project in 2001 and again in 2007.
In 2007, the New7Wonders Foundation said they partnered with the United Nations to help with shared goals. The UN website even posted a message saying:
The New7Wonders campaigns aim to contribute to the process of uplifting the well being and mutual respect of citizens around the world, through encouraging interaction, expression opinion and direct participation by voting and polling on popular global issues which are understandable to everyone.
—United Nations Office of Partnerships
But on June 20, 2007, UNESCO made it clear again. They said they had no connection to this "private project."
There is no comparison between Mr. Weber's mediatised campaign and the scientific and educational work resulting from the inscription of sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The list of the 8 New Wonders of the World will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the Internet and not the entire world. This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public.
—UNESCO
Brazil's Campaign for Christ the Redeemer
In Brazil, there was a huge campaign called Vote no Cristo (Vote for the Christ). Many private companies supported it. For example, phone companies stopped charging people for calls and text messages used to vote.
Big companies, like a bank (Banco Bradesco) and a TV network (Rede Globo), spent millions of Brazilian reals. They wanted to make sure the Christ the Redeemer statue was voted into the top seven. Newsweek magazine reported how widespread the campaign was:
One morning in June, Rio de Janeiro residents awoke to a beeping text message on their cell phones: "Press 4916 and vote for Christ. It's free!" The same pitch had been popping up all over the city since late January—flashing across an electronic screen every time city-dwellers swiped their transit cards on city buses and echoing on TV infomercials that featured a reality-show celebrity posing next to the city's trademark Christ the Redeemer statue.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Newsweek
Newsweek also mentioned that about 10 million Brazilians had voted by early July. An airplane even flew over Rio de Janeiro for a month with a huge sign saying "4916 VOTE FOR CHRIST."
Egypt's Concerns
Egyptians were not happy that the Great Pyramid of Giza had to compete. This pyramid is the only one left from the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They felt it shouldn't have to compete with newer sites like the Statue of Liberty or the Sydney Opera House. A state-owned newspaper even wrote, "This is probably a conspiracy against Egypt, its civilization and monuments."
Egypt's Minister of Culture, Farouq Hosny, called the project "absurd." Nagib Aymin, an Egyptian expert on World Heritage Sites, said the vote had "no scientific basis" and was too focused on making money.
Because of Egypt's complaints, the Pyramids of Giza were given a special "honorary status." They were removed from the voting list but were still recognized as one of the 21 finalists and given a special place among the winners.
How People Voted
The New7Wonders Foundation announced that over 100 million votes were cast. People could vote using the Internet or by telephone. When voting online, each person could vote for up to seven different monuments. However, more votes were allowed by telephone.
Some people criticized this system, saying the poll might not be fair. Despite this, the New7Wonders Foundation claimed it was "the largest poll on record" at that time.
The Winners
The Great Pyramid of Giza received honorary status. It is the biggest and oldest of the three pyramids at the Giza Necropolis in Egypt. It is also the only structure still standing from the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
| Wonder | Location | Image | Date of construction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Pyramid of Giza (honorary status) |
Giza Necropolis, Egypt |  |
2560 BC |
| The Great Wall of China | China |  |
700 BC |
| Petra | Jordan |  |
312 BC |
| Colosseum | Rome, Italy |  |
80 AD |
| Chichen Itza | Yucatán, Mexico |  |
600 AD |
| Machu Picchu | Cuzco Region, Peru |  |
1450 AD |
| Taj Mahal | Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India |  |
1643 AD |
| Christ the Redeemer | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |  |
1931 AD |
See also
In Spanish: Nuevas siete maravillas del mundo moderno para niños
