The Grand Canyon will go head-to-head against the Amazon rainforest and 26 other places to be named the “New 7 Wonders of Nature,” based on a global online poll.
The finalists, which were announced July 21 in Zurich, include well-known destinations like Matterhorn and Mt. Kilimanjaro, as well as more obscure spots like the Mud Volcanoes in Azerbaijan and Milford Sound in New Zealand. Some of the nominees can be seen in the above slide show.
Votes can be cast online, by phone or SMS. Over 1 billion people are expected to join in the voting, with winners announced in 2011. A similar effort two years ago to elect seven man-made wonders generated considerable publicity.
The New 7 Wonders campaign was started by Bernard Weber, a Swiss filmmaker and entrepreneur, with the aim of promoting cultural diversity and preserving natural sites. The 28 finalists were chosen by a panel of experts that included Federico Mayor, former chief of UNESCO, and Rex Weyler, co-founder of Greenpeace International.