The Seven Natural Wonders of the World

The Great Barrier Reef: The only living thing that can be seen from outer space that is larger than the Great Wall of China is the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world. Located in Australia, this reef system is composed of 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands making it 1,600 miles in length. The overall structure of the reef is composed of billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. Along with the ocean, the reef creates a habitat that supports a great diversity of sea life, some of which are endangered. Because of the vast beauty of the Reef, people find it very appealing to visit thus bringing many tourist dollars to the area, which help to put in place protective measures to hopefully protect this valuable wonder for many generations to come.

The Grand Canyon: The deep, rugged, multi-colored walls of the Grand Canyon can create a powerful and inspiring experience upon viewing. This deep sided gorge has been carved through the landscape over many millions of years by the Colorado River. With a length of 277 miles long, The Grand Canyon can range in width from 4 to 18 miles and attain a depth of over a mile. Many layers of rock are preserved in the canyon’s walls which have been exposed due to erosion creating a kaleidoscope of beautiful colors that can change based on the sun’s position and weather conditions. The Grand Canyon attracts over 5 million tourists a year.

Northern and Southern Lights: Creating beautiful colorful displays of lights are Northern and Southern Lights or otherwise know as auroras. These auroras are usually viewed at night and occur more often around Polar Regions, usually within the Artic and Antarctic Circles, but can also be found in other parts of the world. They usually appear to be reddish or greenish swaths appearing across the dark night sky, but can also be different shades of blue and yellow. The occurrences of auroras are due to emissions of photons in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Oxygen and nitrogen atoms returning from an excited state to ground state create the emission of photons of light.

Mt. Everest: The top of Mount Everest is the highest point on the earth’s surface. It’s part of the Himalaya mountain range in Asia and stands over 29,029 ft high. Many people from experienced mountaineers to novice climbers climb the peak which since 2009 has claimed over 215 lives since being recorded. This attraction to the mountain brings much needed tourist dollars to the area and helps the economy of the local city.

Victoria Falls: The Victoria Falls are some of the largest falls in the world. They are located between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa on the Zambezi River. They are considered the most famous falls in the world. The Falls attract over 300,000 visitors a year. To visit The Falls and the surrounding area to view the exotic wildlife and vegetation makes a fantastic memorable experience that you will remember for a lifetime.

Paricutin: Located in Michoacán, a state in Mexico is the Paricutin volcano. Beginning in 1943 as a fissure on the property of a local farmer, within one week, reached over five-stories tall, and in a year, reached over 1,102.36 ft tall. Many lives were negatively affected by the volcano which killed crops and livestock and caused massive property damage to the surrounding 25 miles of land.

The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro: Located in Guanabara Bay in Brazil, The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro is considered to be one of the most beautiful harbors in the world. The bay stretches inland by 20 miles and is surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges, including three famous peaks, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca. There are also many islands to enjoy within the harbor.