Wonders of the World

Государственное бюджетное общеобразовательное учреждение гимназия №628

Красногвардейского района Санкт-Петербурга

«Александринская гимназия»

Wonders of the World

Разработчик проекта:          Лавренова Валерия 6 «Г»

Руководитель проекта:       учитель английского языка

Козлова С.В.

Санкт-Петербург

2015-2016 уч.год

Паспорт проектной работы

Content

Introduction

Wonder is a feeling

of amazement and admiration

caused by something beautiful,

remarkable or unfamiliar.

The world is full of wonderful places. There is a variety of different classifications of these remarkable places such as “The Wonders of the ancient World”, “The Wonders of Russia”, “The Wonders of New World” and others.  People around the world admire them and travel more and more nowadays to see them and enjoy their beauty.

I interviewed the classmates to find out if they are familiar with the wonderful places on our planet, if they know where these places are situated and what they are famous for. I asked the pupils to answer the following questions:

1. What is “The Wonder of the World”?
2. Which Wonders of the World persist to the present day?
3. Is the Eifel Tower a Wonder or of the World or not?
4. How many Wonders of the World are there?
5. Which is your favourite Wonder of the World?
6. Where is the Coliseum situated?

It turned out that 75% of the pupils can explain what the Wonder of the World mean and can name the most famous of them. 50% of the schoolchildren know how many Wonders of the World exist in modern world and consider the Eifel Tower one of them. And they are quite right. Most of the pupils name The Pyramids of Cheops as their favourite Wonder of the World and know where the Coliseum situated.

I made a conclusion that many pupils know about the existence of different Wonders of the World, but they don't have enough information about them. I decided that making investigation in this area will be actual to raise their awareness and broaden their mind.

So I chose “The Ancient Wonders”, “The Wonders of New World” and “The Natural Wonders” for investigation and set a goal to collect information about them and share the information with the schoolchildren.

During my work I looked through different educational sites in the Internet, chose the most interesting and significant information and made a presentation of the results of my work.

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Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Seven Ancient Wonders were done in ancient times, and apart from the pyramids of Giza, most do not exist anymore. However, we come to know about them from historians, and documents from ancient civilizations. Take a stroll to ancient times, and marvel at the architectural skills of the past. Here are the oldest of man-made wonders.

Pyramid of Cheops 2584-2561 BC. 

An Old Kingdom Egyptian Pharoah named Khufu (Cheops in Greek) ordered this great pyramid be built for his burial place. It was the first of its kind to be built. Other much smaller step pyramids were built before this, but this new pyramid was going to have smooth sides and be many times larger than anything ever seen before. Khufu's son, Khafre, who ruled after his father died, had his own pyramid built next to his father's. And Menkaure, Khafre's son, had his own pyramid built next to his father's and grandfather's. Khafre's pyramid (below center) often appears taller in pictures, however, it is slightly smaller than Khufu's, but no less grand. 

How the pyramids were built has been a mystery that archeologists have been trying to solve for many years. It is believed that thousands of slaves were used to cut up the large blocks and then slowly move them up the pyramid on ramps. The pyramid would get slowly built, one block at a time. Scientists estimate it took at least 20,000 workers over 23 years to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. Because it took so long to build them, Pharaohs generally started the construction of their pyramids as soon as they became ruler.
Did you know? The sides of the pyramids on the Giza plateau face the cardinal points of a compass. This means the north side faces directly north, the east side faces east, and so on. 

Fun Facts about the Great Pyramids

• The Great Pyramid of Giza points very precisely to the north.
• The pyramids of Egypt are all built to the west of the Nile River. This is because the western side was associated with the land of the dead.
• The base of a pyramid was always a perfect square.
• They were built mostly of limestone.
• There were traps and curses put on the tombs and the pyramids to try and keep robbers out.

The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropoli, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC.

The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories about the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction hypotheses are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

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The Great Pyramid consists of an estimated 2.3 million limestone blocks with most believed to have been transported from nearby quarries. The Tura limestone used for the casing was quarried across the river. The largest granite stones in the pyramid, found in the "King's" chamber, weigh 25 to 80 tonnes and were transported from Aswan, more than 500 miles away. Traditionally, ancient Egyptians cut stone blocks by hammering wooden wedges into the stone which were then soaked with water. As the water was absorbed, the wedges expanded, causing the rock to crack. Once they were cut, they were carried by boat either up or down the Nile River to the pyramid. At completion, the Great Pyramid was surfaced by white "casing stones" - slant-faced, but flat-topped, blocks of highly polished white limestone. These were carefully cut to what is approximately a face slope with a seked of 5½ palms to give the required dimensions. Visibly, all that remains is the underlying stepped core structure seen today.

There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only pyramid in Egypt known to contain both ascending and descending passages. The main part of the Giza complex is a setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.

Several mystery shafts extend from the king's and queen's chambers. Neither airshafts (they were sealed) nor hallways (they are too narrow), they may have been designed to allow Khufu to travel to the stars in his afterlife. A blocked shaft from the queen's chamber was penetrated in 2002. Archaeologists discovered another stone blocking their way.

The interior of the pyramids included narrow corridors and hidden chambers in an unsuccessful attempt to foil grave robbers. Although modern archeologists have found some great treasures among the ruins, they believe most of what the pyramids once contained was looted within 250 years of their completion.

All the pyramids can be seen from thirty miles from Giza itself. The site is truly spectacular. The walls are covered in fabulously incised hieroglyphics. From the outside, if you are standing right next to the pyramid, you will not be able to see the top. It is a pity to see that the Great Pyramids are in danger because of its neighbor, the ever-growing metropolitan city of Cairo. The pollution is causing the pyramids and the Great Sphinx to slowly deteriorate.

It is now illegal to climb the pyramid, but you can go inside. A separate ticket is required to enter each pyramid. Only 300 tickets are sold each day, 150 in the morning and another 150 in the afternoon, after 1pm. Tickets on sale at 8:00am & 1:00pm. No photography is allowed inside the pyramid.

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Hanging Gardens of Babylon (605-562 BC. E.)

The gardens did not really hang on the roof using cables or ropes.But derives this name from the fact that it was built on the roof top. According to the popular notion, Nebuchadnezzar built it to alleviate his wife's homesickness. He was married to Amyitis, daughter of the king Medes who seems to have had a passion for mountainous surroundings. Babylon's flat desert-like landscape made her pine for the mountains of Media where she was brought up. So the king decided to build an artificial, terraced hill lushly cultivated with trees and flowering plants. However some attribute this wonder to the Assyrian Queen Semiramis.

According to Herodotus, the outer walls of the garden were 80 feet thick, 320 feet high, and 56 miles in length. He said that it was wide enough for a four-horse chariot to turn. Inside the inner walls there were fortresses and temples containing immense statues of solid gold. The Greek geographer Strabo, describes it as , "the garden consists of vaulted terraces raised one above another, and resting upon cube-shaped pillars. These are hollow and filled with earth to allow trees of the largest size to be planted. The pillars, the vaults, and terraces are constructed of baked brick and asphalt."

However getting the water to the top and also avoiding the wreckage of the foundation once the water was released, posed a serious problem. Devising a workable watering system was more of a challenge than erecting the gardens. Babylon was an arid country and water from the Euphrates River had to be used to irrigate it. A chain pump was used to lift water to each level. A chain pump is two large wheels on top of each other. Buckets are hung on a chain that connects the wheels. The bucket goes into the water then comes up and goes into a new pool. The empty buckets go back into the water to be refilled. The water at the top is then emptied through into a channel gate that is like a artificial stream to water the gardens. Special care had to be taken while watering the garden because the garden ran the risk of collapsing if water were absorbed by the brick columns and foundation supporting the gardens.

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Statue of Olympian Zeus (435 BC. SEs V-VI centuries.)

Zeus was the king of all the ancient Greek gods. A temple was built in his honor at Olympia, in a sacred grove between two rivers, from where he could watch over the Olympic games held every four years.

Around 432 BC, Greece’s most famous sculptor, Phidias, traveled to Olympia to begin work on a statue of Zeus that would become the fourth wonder of the world. He set up a workshop next to the temple and spent the next 12 years completing the project. When finished, the statue was amazing. Zeus was depicted sitting on his throne. He was over 40 feet high and his head almost brushed the roof of the temple. Some people thought that Phidias had got the proportions wrong, as the temple was believed to be Zeus’s actual home and it looked as though he would take the roof off if he stood up, but others thought it made the god even more awe-inspiring.

Zeus again showed his power when, during the first century CE, Emperor Caligula tried to have the statue moved to Rome.According to legend, the scaffolding erected around the statue fell down to the sound of god-like laughing. Zeus sat in the temple at Olympia and presided over the Games until 392 AD, when the Christian Emperor of Rome, Theodosius I, abolished the Games as he considered them pagan. It is not known for certain what happened to the statue. In 426 AD Theodosius I ordered all temples to be destroyed, so it may have perished then. Some records suggest that a Greek named Lausus took it to Constantinople where it was eventually destroyed in a huge fire that swept the city in 475 AD. Archaeological research has found the outline of the temple, oil pool, Phidias’s workshop, and fragments from the temple itself, but of Zeus, king of the gods, nothing.

Interesting Facts about Zeus

• The Roman equivalent of Zeus is Jupiter.
• The Olympics were held each year by the Greeks in honor of Zeus.
• Zeus originally married the Titan Metis, but grew worried that she would have a son that was stronger than him. So he swallowed her and married Hera.

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• Zeus sided with the Trojans in the Trojan War, however, his wife Hera sided with the Greeks.
• He had a powerful shield called the Aegis.
• Zeus was also the keeper of oaths. He punished those who lied or made dishonest business deals.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

(560 BC. S Es 370 BC. E. 356 BC. e.)

and an eternal virgin.The temple was so huge and magnificent that it took about 120 years to build it. Referred to as the great marble temple it was sponsored by the Lydian king Croesus and was designed by the Greek architect Chersiphron.

The temple was built around 550 B.C. It's foundation measured at 377 by 40 feet. The whole temple was entirely made up of marble except its wooden roof covered with tile. Marble steps surrounding the building platform led to the high terrace which was approximately 80 m by 130 m in plan. The columns were 20 m high with Ionic capitals and carved circular sides. There were 127 columns in total, aligned orthogonally over the whole platform area, except for the central cellar or house of the goddess. Inside the temple were many works of art, including the four ancient bronze statues of Amazon , sculpted by the finest artists of the time. This temple was both a market place and a place of worship. This place was visited by a lot of tourists, artisans merchants and kings to pay their homage and share their profits with the Artemis goddess. This temple was held in high esteem by the scholars.

It is sad that this temple didn't last long. One night a man called Herostratus put the temple to fire in an attempt to immortalize his name. The reconstruction of the building was

resumed and it was commissioned to an architect called Scopas of Paros, the best

architect of the time. It is interesting to note that Alexander was born on that same day when the temple was burned to ashes. The Roman historian Plutarch later wrote that the goddess was "too busy taking care of the birth of Alexander to send help to her threatened temple". Over the next two decades, the temple was restored and is labeled "temple E" by archeologists. And when Alexander the Great conquered Asia Minor, he helped rebuild the destroyed temple. When St. Paul visited Ephesus to preach Christianity, he had to confront the Artemis' cult who were in no mood to abandon their goddess. When the temple was ravaged by the Goths in A.D 262, the Ephesians vowed to rebuild the it. By the fourth century AD, most Ephesians had converted to Christianity and the temple lost its religious glamor. In AD 401 St. John Chrysostom torn the whole structure down. That was the end to this wonder of the world.

This temple was a tourist attraction in its heyday drawing travelers from afar. A local cottage industry produced souvenirs and religious items including miniature statues of Artemis. Hawkers sold them to visitors, which helped the local economy. Seafaring ships once docked in the riverside harbor of Ephesus a bustling ancient city, where the Temple of Artemis was located. Eventually, silt clogged the harbor and its entrance, preventing ships from ever again reaching the harbor.

Today what remains in the place of the Temple of Artemis is a marshy field. A single column has been erected to remind visitors that there once stood a Wonder of the Ancient World.

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (351 BC. SEs 1494)

Though he was not an illustrious ruler like his father, nevertheless he ruled the kingdom for 24 long years, with Halicarnassus as his capital. The only thing worthy of any notice during his pretty long tenure was the exquisite mausoleum built in his honor and which earned a place among the seven wonders of the world.
              The mausoleum's height was 45m. This is broken down into 20 m (60 ft) for the stepped podium, 12 m (38 ft) for the colonnade, 7 m (22 ft) for the pyramid, and 6 m (20 ft) for the chariot statue at the top. The mausoleum was rectangular in structure, with base dimensions of about 40 m by 30 m. The podium that overlied the edifice was adorned with statues. The burial chamber and the sacrophagus were made of white alabaster decorated with gold. They were situated on the podium and surrounded by Ionic columns.There was a pyramid roof decorated with myriad statues, which was supported by a colonnade. The tomb top was adorned with the statue of a chariot pulled by four horses. The beauty of the mausoleum lay not in its grand structure but in the life size and often larger than life size statues of people, lions, horses, and other animals that embellishes it. The statues were sculpted by Greek sculptors Bryaxis, Scopas and Timotheus. Queen Artemisia died two years after her husband King Mausolus. She was buried along side him in the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. The tomb wasn't quite finished when Queen Artemisia died. The builders decided to finish the building project because, according to the Roman historian Pliny, the tomb was not just a memorial to the royal couple,but also to the sculptor's art.
This mausoleum was built around 353 BC. The stucture stood strong for 16 centuries till an earthquake damaged the colonnade and the roof of this structure. In the early 15th century AD, Knights of John of Malta, used the stone blocks in this structure to construct a castle. That was how one of the seven wonders of the world came to an end.

The city of Halicarnassus is now named Bodrum. Bodrum is now a major vacation destination. Its most popular attraction, though, is not the Mausoleum at Halicarnnasus ruins but rather the crusader castle that is partially made from the tomb ruins.

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The Colossus of Rhodes

(between 292 and 280 years. BC. E. 224 (or 226) BC. E.)

It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. People would travel from all over just to see the statue. It was an early example of the tourist trap. 

The whole thing started with a Macedonian ruler and General named Alexander the Great. Alexander set out to conquer pretty much everyone and anyone that he came in contact with. He was pretty successful at it, too. Unfortunately for his empire, Alexander had no interest in governing and leading, he seemed only interested in war and taking people over. When Alexander died at the age of 32, some historians claim he said, “I leave my empire to whoever is strong enough to take it.” No one is really sure if this is true, but it may as well have been since all of his generals acted like he did, carving their own kingdoms out of Alexander’s empire. The two generals that have a part in the story of the Colossus of Rhodes are Ptolemy and Antigonus the One-Eyed. (Seriously, that is what the Macedonians named him. They used the long Greek word but his last name was “the one-eyed.”) The City of Rhodes was an important port in the Mediterranean Sea. The City of Rhodes was not exactly allied with Ptolemy but was very friendly with him. Ptolemy controlled Egypt. Antigonus wanted Egypt and all the food that could be produced in Egypt. Antigonus was afraid that the City of Rhodes would give Ptolemy ships and men to use against him. Antigonus had his son, Demetrius, attack the City of Rhodes. Demetrius surrounded the City of Rhodes with an army of 40,000 men. Because Rhodes was a port, Demetrius also had to block the port with a navy. Demetrius was unable to completely block the harbor, so ships were able to bring supplies to Rhodes. The Siege of Rhodes lasted for over a year. In the end, Demetrius left Rhodes in a hurry, leaving behind a lot of weapons and other equipment. 

One of the things Demetrius left behind was a giant siege engine known as the Helepolis. The Helepolis was a giant armored tower bristling with weapons. The idea behind the Helepolis was: Demetrius’ men would push the Helepolis up to the wall of the city, clear the wall with catapults and other weapons, then they would charge across a bridge and take over the city. It didn’t work. In fact, it didn’t even come close to working. 

There are two different stories of why it didn’t work. The first one was: The people of Rhodes knocked some of the iron plates off of the tower. Because of the gaps in the tower’s armor, it was no longer fireproof. Demetrius stopped using the tower because he was afraid it would burn. The second version is: The people of Rhodes

flooded the land where the tower was supposed to be used. The tower was so big and heavy it sank into the mud. Demetrius' men were not able to pull it out of the mud. In the end, it doesn’t matter how the Helepolis failed. It, along with other weapons, was taken by the people of Rhodes and either melted down or sold to pay for the Colossus.

No one knows exactly where the Colossus of Rhodes stood. There are some people who think the Colossus stood at the mouth of Rhodes’ harbor, kind of like the Statue of Liberty in modern New York Harbor. Some people believe that the Colossus stood straddling the entrance to the harbor. There are even some who think that the statue stood inside the city near a temple

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 complex also dedicated to Helios. People don’t know where the statue stood because the statue was destroyed in an earthquake in 226 BCE, just 56 years after it was built. Even though the Colossus fell down, for hundreds of years people would still travel from all over just to see it. Rhodes was conquered in 654 CE and the pieces of the Colossus were sold, so modern historians have no real idea where the statue stood.

Lighthouse of Alexandria

(III century BC. SEs 303 BC. E. - 1480 BC. E. (Stood in 1783)

Ptolemy II (the son of Ptolemy I) finished constructing the Lighthouse of Alexandria about 25 years later. This lighthouse was built around 280 BC and was around 134 m in height. This was built in the city of Alexandria. Alexander the Great had seventeen cities named after him. Most of them are no longer in existence except for Alexandria, Egypt. The city needed a mechanism to guide the trade ships into its harbor. Ptolemy started building the lighthouse in 290 B.C. It was completed 20 years later and was the first lighthouse of the world. It was also the tallest building  with the exception of the Great Pyramid.

In the 10th century A.D., the lighthouse stood about 300 cubits high. That means that the lighthouse stood between 450 to 600 feet. The lighthouse was designed by a man named Sostrates of Knidos. The design of the lighthouse was not similar to the modern slim lighthouse towers. It had three basic structural elements. A rectangular base, an octagonal midsection, and a cylindrical upper section which housed the beacon. It was built in 3 stages, each built on top of the lower. The lowest level was about 200 feet square and had the shape of a huge box. The lighthouse was built on marble blocks. A staircase within the lighthouse led the keepers to the beacon chamber, containing a curved mirror used to project a fire's light into a beam. Ships could detect the beam from the tower at night or the smoke from it could be seen during the day from up to 100 miles away.

For centuries, the Lighthouse of Alexandria (occasionally referred to as the Pharos Lighthouse) marked the harbor, using fire at night and reflecting sun rays during the day. It was even shown on Roman coins, just as famous monuments are depicted on currency today. When the Arabs conquered Egypt, they admired Alexandria and its wealth. The Lighthouse continues to be mentioned in their writings and travelers accounts. An earthquake shook Alexandria in AD 956 but caused little damage to the Lighthouse. It was later in 1303 and in 1323 that two stronger earthquakes considerably damaged the structure. The final blow was dealt by the Egyptian

Mamelouk Sultan in AD 1480 when he decided to fortify Alexandria's defense. He built a medieval fort on the same spot where the Lighthouse once stood, using the fallen stone and marble.

Sostrates of Knidos, who designed the lighthouse, wanted to have his name carved on the structure. But Ptollemy II wanted his own name carved instead. Sostrates, being a clever man,

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first carved his name underneath, concealed it with plaster and then carved Ptolemy II's name. After some time the plaster worn out and his name was revealed. On the virtue of being solidly constructed, the lighthouse survived the assaults of fierce sea storms and many earthquakes for some 1600 years.

Although the Lighthouse of Alexandria did not survive to the present day, it undoubtedly leave an impact in many respects. The monument has been used as a model for many prototypes along the Mediterranean, as far away as Spain. And from a linguistic standpoint, it gave its name - Pharos - to all the lighthouses in the world!

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The New Seven Wonders of the World

The new Seven Wonders of the World was compiled by popular vote over a six year period by a nonprofit group headed by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber. In 1999 Weber began collecting suggestions from Internet users around the world. A list of over 200 nominations was narrowed down to 70, and then to 21, and finally to 7. The group reported more than 100 million votes, received via the Internet and cell phone messages. 

The colosseum

Petra

Maccu Picchu

The Great wall of China

The Taj Mahal

Today, millions of people come from all over the world to visit this famous and beautifully designed Islamic tomb in Agra, a city in northern India. 

Mumtaz Mahal was Shah Jahan's third wife. Her name was originally Arjumand Bano Begum but when she married Shah Jahan she was christened as Mumtaz Mahal which means ‘Jewel of the Palace', or ‘Chosen One of the Palace'.

Taj Mahal means ‘crown of places'.

The Taj Mahal took approximately 20 years and approximately 20,000 workers to complete. There were also about 1000 elephants used to transport the materials needed for construction.

The Taj Mahal complex also has additional mausoleums, a mosque, a reflecting pool and large garden to add to its beauty.

The Taj Mahal stands at 561 feet tall.

The material used to build the Taj Mahal is white marble. The marble used in construction was brought from many different countries.

The Taj Mahal has a large white dome surrounded by four smaller domes. The large white dome in the center is approximately 115 feet tall.

The color of Taj Mahal appears to change color depending on the time of day. The color change also depends on whether there is moonlight at night.

There were about 28 different types of precious and semi-precious stones inlaid into the burial tomb of the Taj Mahal. During the Indian Rebellion in 1857, many of the precious stones were stripped from the walls of the tomb.

Over 200,000 tourists from overseas and as many as 2 to 4 million people visit the Taj Mahal every year.

UNESCO has designated the Taj Mahal as a World Heritage Site and it is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The ‘New' Seven Wonders of the world were chosen by people voting from all over the world.

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There are 99 names of Allah inscribed calligraphically on the side of Mumtaz Mahal's actual tomb.

The four pillars around the main dome were built to slant away from the dome slightly. This was done to help protect the tomb if the pillars ever collapsed.

The cost to build the Taj Mahal was about 35 million rupees, which would be about 1 million American dollars. In 1632 that would be an enormous amount of money to spend on a mausoleum.

It was rumored that Shah Jahan had the hands cut off from the people who worked on the Taj Mahal once it was complete. His reasoning was that nobody would ever be able to build such a beautiful building ever again. Nobody has been able to prove that this story is true.

Although the Taj Mahal was built for Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan was also laid to rest in the tomb alongside his late wife.

Christ Redemeer

The first suggestion to build a large religious monument was made in the 1850s by a Catholic priest names Pedro Maria Boss. The request for financing wasn't approved because Princess Isabel was not a fan of the idea. The request was officially denied in 1889 when Brazil mandated the separation of church and state. A petition started by a group in the early 1920s, called the Catholic Circle of Rio, was successful. Construction began in 1922 and took nine years to complete.

The money to build Christ the Redeemer came from Brazil's Catholic community.

There were several designs to choose from. One was a depiction of the Christian cross. Another was a statue of Jesus holding a globe, while standing over a pedestal that was to symbolize the world.

The chosen statue is meant to show that Christ loves all and will embrace all that come to him.

The stones that were used to build Christ the Redeemer came from Sweden.

The statue was completed in 1931. It officially opened on October 12, 1931.

The cost in 1931 was approximately $250,000 US. Today that would roughly be the equivalent of $3.2 million US.

The statue had to be constructed in pieces and carried to the mountain top to be erected.

The materials used to build Christ the Redeemer were reinforced concrete and soapstone.

The right arm points to south Rio de Janeiro and the left arm points to north Rio de Janeiro.

In 2008 a violent electrical storm resulted in a lightning strike to the statue. The head, eyebrows and fingers were damaged. The soapstone exterior of the statue prevented severe damage as it acted as an insulator. The Rio de Janeiro state government began a restoration effort.

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They replaced some layers of soapstone and repaired the lightning rods on the statue.

All the stone used in restoration efforts came from the same quarry as the original stone.

Christ the Redeemer was vandalized in 2010 by a housepainter. He had sprayed the head and right arm with graffiti. The culprit was later identified.

In 2003 there were escalators, elevators and walkways installed. These made it possible to access the platform that surrounds Christ the Redeemer.

This statue became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World on July 7th, 2007.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza may have been built where it was because of the location of two large natural sink holes nearby that would have provided water year-round.

One of these sink holes was thought to have been used as a place of human sacrifice. These sacrifices were made in times of drought, and men, women and children would be thrown in the well as a sacrifice to the Chac God. The Chac God is the Maya God of rain and lightning and these sacrifices were done to end drought.

The Castillo is probably the most famous image of Chichen Itza. Castillo means castle in Spanish. The Castillo is a monument in the shape of a pyramid. There are four staircases on the outside of the pyramid. The image of the Castillo has been popularized in media.

In about 600 AD. Chichen Itza had started to gain importance in the region. Between 900 and 1050 AD. Chichen Itza had become a powerful capital. It also controlled northern and central Yucatan at the time.

It was one of the largest Maya cities and also had the most diverse population in any Maya population. It covered five square kilometers.

Many of the Maya people that lived in Chichen Itza were very skilled craftsmen, including sculptors, weavers, jewelers and potters.

There is a wide variety of architectural styles that is attributed to the fact that Chichen Itza had such diverse population and culture.

The people of Chichen Itza built strong allies with regional tribes and this helped them thrive for two centuries.

There is archaeological evidence to support the theory that civil war broke out in about 1221.and the power of Yucatan shifted to Mayapan, leaving Chichen Itza behind.

Chichen Itza may have been a religious center for a period of time and is believed to have been a pilgrimage place for the Maya. Some suggest that the site where Chichen Itza was built was already a popular place of pilgrimage long before building of the city ever began.

All the buildings of Chichen Itza are made from stone. It's also thought that the Maya did no use the wheel to build any of their temples, pyramids or palaces.

Some of the most famous buildings in Chichen Itza that have survived include: The Warrior's Temple, El Castillo, and The Great Ball Court.

Chichen Itza is considered to be one the Seven Wonders of the New World.

Part of what sparked an interest in Chichen Itza was a book (travel journal) written by John Lloyd Stephens in 1843 called Incidents of Travel in Yucatan. Further exploration of the city

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began from the interest and imagination of his readers. By 1875 a statue had been recovered and excavation continued. Approximately 1.2 million people visit the ruins of Chichen Itza every year.

The New Wonders of Nature

If the Seven Wonders of the World demonstrate the human race's most impressive creations, then the Seven Wonders of the Natural World are proof — if proof is needed — that Mother Nature is just as talented as an architect. 

Puerto Princesa

The river has gained worldwide admiration and attention, leading it to be included as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 1012. 

The river is 8.2km long and flows underground through natural rock formations such as caves, stalactites, and stalagmites.

Only 4.3km of this are easily traveled by tourists. If tourists wish to travel the other 3.9km they have to obtain a special permit. In some of this 3.9km it is possible to wade in the river.

Some of the rock formations look similar to objects and images such as a horse, cacao fruit, a mushroom and the holy family.

One of the rock formations in the cavern that the river flows through looks like a naked lady.

The river is also called the St. Paul Underground River.

St. Paul Bay is to the north of the river and the Babuyan River is to its east.

Tourists can travel the river on a fiberglass boat.

Geologists and environmentalists discovered a second floor to the river in 2010. This led them to believe that there are waterfalls in the cave as well.

The geologists and environmentalists also discovered that there is a dome inside the cave which reaches 300 meters above the river. They also found large bats, additional river channels and marine creatures among other things.

The lower half of the river has brackish water, which means it has more salt than fresh water, but not enough to be considered salt water.

Even though it is called an underground river, it is actually above sea level. Its water flows into St. Paul Bay.

It would take an hour and a half by vehicle from downtown Puerto Princesa to reach Sabang. From there it's only a short ferry ride from the nearby town of Sabang.

The monkeys in Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park are so used to being fed by people that they will now grab food from visitors.

Inside the open chambers of the trip down Puerto Princesa Underground River, it's common to hear the bats chattering. Tourists usually wear helmets as the bats also have a tendency to poop on them.

The helmets that the tourists wear are also important to protect them from loose stalactite falling from above. Stalactite is a type of cave formation, a mineral that hangs from limestone caves.

Stalagmites are also a common site along the river. Stalagmites rise from the floor. They are cave formations, formed from the dripping of minerals above.

Puerto Princesa Underground River was once believed to be the longest underground river in the world.

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This was proven false when a longer underground river was discovered in Mexico.

Puerto Princesa Underground River was designated as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature on January 28, 2012.

Iguazu Falls

There is a legend that explains how the falls were created. A god was to marry Naipi, a beautiful woman.

This woman canoed away with her lover, angering the god. The god was enraged and sliced the river, which not only created the falls but condemned the two lovers to fall for eternity.

The falls are 1.7 miles long, divided by islands along its edge. These falls range from 197 to 269 feet high. The average height of most of the falls is 210 feet.

The actual number of waterfalls fluctuates depending on the water level and how much water is flowing. The number ranges from 150 to 300 falls at any given time.

Three cities in three countries, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, have access to Iguazu River.

Along the 1.7 mile part of the river which makes up Iguazu Falls, 2,950 feet does not have water flowing over it.

The explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (Spanish) was the first European to see the falls in 1541. One of the falls on the Argentina side is named after him.

Two-thirds of Iguazu Falls are on the Argentina side.

Of all the waterfalls in the world, Iguazu has the highest annual average flow, more than Niagara Falls.

Iguazu Falls is taller than, and twice as wide as Niagara Falls.

Iguazu Falls was formed as the result of a volcanic eruption. This eruption left a large crack.

In the winter the water levels are at their lowest, and in the summer it is extremely humid and hot, which makes the spring and fall the best times to visit.

November to March is the rainy season. At times there is as much as 450,000 cubic feet per second flowing over Iguazu Falls.

The most impressive falls of Iguazu Falls is called ‘The Devil's Throat'. It is a U-shaped chasm where 14 falls plunge more than 350 feet.

The mist that rises from the falls at Devil's Throat reaches up to 490 feet at times.

There are a species of birds called Great Dusky Swifts that often nest behind the falls. They are even seen plunging right into the falls.

There are approximately 2000 plant species in the rain forests around Iguazu Falls.

Eleanor Roosevelt, former President Roosevelt's wife visited the falls. She exclaimed, "Poor Niagara,' when she first laid eyes on Iguazu Falls.

Iguazu Falls can be seen in many movies including: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Miami Vice, Mr. Magoo, and many more.

Iguazu Falls was declared one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature on November 11, 2011. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Amazon River

 The Amazon rainforest is a moist, broadleaf forest.

It covers most of the Amazon Basin in South America. The basin is 2.7 million square miles while the Amazon covers 2.1 million square miles of it. If the Amazon rainforest was a country, it would rank 9th in size.

The nine nations that have the Amazon rainforest in their borders are: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

The Amazon rainforest accounts for more than half of the entire world's remaining rainforests.

The Amazon rainforest is home to 10% of the known species in the world.

The Amazon rainforest is home to 205 of the bird species in the world.

There are over 40,000 different plant species and approximately 2.5 million insect species in the Amazon rainforest.

Due to efforts to fight deforestation in the Amazon, rates have been reducing slightly, but it is still an issue today.

The droughts in 2005 and 2010 destroyed huge amounts of vegetation in the areas worst affected.

It's estimated that if the climate change were to increase the world's temperature by only 3 degrees Celsius then 75% of the Amazon would be destroyed.

The Amazon rainforest is also referred to as the ‘Lungs of the Planet' because it produces more than 20% of the world's oxygen.

There are approximately 10 million species of animals, plants and insects known to man and more than half of them call the rainforest home.

There are approximately 3000 fruits that grow in the rainforest that are edible.

Many plants around the world have medicinal qualities. Of the plants known to have anti-cancer properties, 70% are found in the rainforest. Amazon natives use rainforest plants regularly but 90% of the ones they use have not been studied by modern science.

In 1500 there were between 6 and 9 million Amazon natives. Today there are only an estimated 250,000 left. There are approximately 170 different languages spoken by the Amazon natives.

It is believed that there may still be as many as 50 Amazon native tribes living in the rainforest that have never been in contact with the rest of the world.

There are many dangerous species of snakes, spiders and animals in the Amazon rainforest. It is also home to the anaconda.

The Amazon River is considered to be the life force of the Amazon rainforest.

The toucan is the loudest creature in the Amazon. You can hear it as far as a half mile away.

There are vampire bats in the Amazon rainforest as well as poisonous dart frogs.

If you were caught in the rain in the Amazon you would have about 10 minutes to find your umbrella. The trees are so tightly packed that it can take 10 minutes for the rain to reach the ground below.

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Halong Bay

It is classified as both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. 

Halong Bay means 'descending dragon bay'. Legend states that gods sent dragons, who dropped jewels and jade from their mouths into the bay, creating the islands.

Research has shown that there were prehistoric humans in the area tens of thousands of years ago.

The bay extends 120km along the coastline and is 1,553 square kilometers in size.

Many of the more than 1960 islands have secluded beaches, grottos and caves.

Some of the wildlife found on the islands include: monkeys, birds, lizards, and even antelopes.

There are 450 different mollusks and 200 different species of fish in Halong Bay.

Some of the islands have permanent residents and tourism businesses.

Most of the islands in Halong Bay are limestone. This limestone has been forming for over 500 million years.

Less than half of the islands have been named. Many of the names come from the shape of the islands themselves, such as Mai Nha Island (roof) and Voi Island (elephant).

Many of the islands are untouched due to their steep edges and heights which make it too dangerous to explore.

Some of the islets (small islands) rise from the water to heights of up to 330 feet.

The height to width ratio of many of these islets is 6:1. They reach much higher than they are wide.

The most famous grottos in Halong Bay are Heavenly Residence Grotto (Thien Cung), Surprise Grotto (Sung Spot), Driftwood Grotto (Dau Go) and Three Palace Grotto (Tam Cung). The grottos in Halong Bay are some of the most spectacular in the world. Many are open to visitors but a number of others are not in an attempt to preserve their integrity.

There are both an oceanic and seashore bio-system and a tropical evergreen bio-system in this region.

There are 60 widespread faunal and 14 widespread floral species in this region.

Nguyen Tai, a scholar and poet wrote about Halong Bay 500 years ago, calling it ‘rock wonder in the sky'.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam listed Halong Bay in the National Relics and Landscapes publication in 1962.

UNESCO classified the core of Halong Bay as a World Heritage Site in 1994.

Ho Chi Minh, who was both the prime minister and the president of Vietnam at different times, called Halong Bay ‘the wonder that one cannot impart to others'.

The mines placed in the channels between the islands by the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War there is still a threat to shipping today.

Many of the species of endangered fish in Halong Bay are being threatened by the game fishing that occurs near the coral reefs.

Halong Bay was classified as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2012.

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Komodo Island

The island is listed as one of the New & Wonders of Nature.

Those who live on this island are the descendants of former convicts who were sent to the island following their convictions.

The Komodo dragons that inhabit this island and only a few others nearby are the largest lizards on earth.

Komodo Island covers an area of 390 square kilometers. It is 15km wide and 30km long.

There are 2000 people that live on the island as permanent residents.

The religions of the people that live on the island are Hindu, Christianity, and Islamic.Komodo Island is part of a chain of islands known as the Lesser Sunda Chain.

Between April and December it is the dry season for Komodo Island. The coldest months are July and August. During these months the average temperature is 30 degrees Celsius.

Komodo Island's rainy season is from January to March. Although this is the rainy season, Komodo Island does not get the torrential rain that the rest of Indonesia experiences.

It's possible to go diving in Komodo all year long.

There are less than 4000 wild birds on Komodo Island, and it is also home to many endangered species. There are approximately 25 different endangered species on Komodo Island.

Komodo Island is believed to have been formed approximately 1 million years ago.

In the coral reefs under the sea around Komodo Island there are approximately 1000 species of fish, and 253 reef-building coral species.

There are only seven beaches in the world with pink sand. Komodo Island has one of these pink sand beaches. The pink sand is a mixture of red and white sand.

Although there were stories of the Komodo dragon for many years, nobody went to Komodo Island to check until the early 1910s.In the mid-1900s, fossils were found in Australia very similar to Komodo dragons. These fossils dated back 30 to 60 million years ago.

The Dutch sailors originally described the dragons as being seven meters long, and able to breathe fire. After an expedition by a Dutch official, the results were published in 1912. The Komodo dragon did not breathe fire and was in fact, a monitor lizard.

The highest mountain on Komodo Island is Satalibo, which reaches 735 meters at its peak.

There remnants of rainforest on Komodo Island, as well as bamboo forests.

Deer are a favorite food of the Komodo dragon and in an effort to increase their population the government began prohibiting deer hunting by the islanders.

In 1991, Komodo National Park was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Komodo Island became one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature on November 11, 2011.

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Jeju Island

The highest mountain in South Korea, Hallasan (Halla Mountain), is located on Jeju Island. The peak of the mountain looks like a giant crater.

It's a popular honeymoon destination for Korean newlyweds. It has beautiful beaches and waterfalls that take one's breath away. It is a tropical paradise.

Jeju Island is one South Korea's nine provinces.

The island has a climate that is temperate. It rarely falls below the freezing point even in the winter season.

There is a lava cave system where lava tubes were formed when the lava erupting from the volcano cooled. This cave system, along with Halla Mountain and Seongsan Sunrise peak contributed to the island being classified as a World Heritage Site in 2007 by UNESCO. It's referred to as Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.

Jeju Island's Hallasan Mountain is actually a dormant volcano. It is 1,950 meters above sea level. The last time the volcano erupted was approximately 800 years ago. It is believed to have been formed about 25,000 years ago.

Inside the crater at Hallasan Mountain is a lake. The crater is named Baengnokdam.

Jeju Island has also been called the ‘Hawaii of Korea'. It has also been nicknamed Samdado which means the ‘island of three abundances'. The three abundances this refers to are the wind, rocks and women. The women are said to be extremely beautiful.

There are stone statues known as ‘dolharubang' which means ‘stone grandfather'. The first was carved from lava rock in 1750. These statues are of helmet-wearing men and are life sized. Today there are 45 of these statues in existence. The statue at Jeju-mok was designated as the island's mascot in 1971.

It was a used a training grounds for horses by the Mongolians in the 11th century. Later it was used as a prison, as well as a fort to protect against Japanese pirates.

During the Koran War many refugees used the island for a place to stay.

It wasn't until the 1960s and 70s that it became a vacation spot for tourists.

Jeju Island is the smallest province in Korea.

Jeju Island is the largest island in Korea. It has an area of 1,846 square kilometers.

There have been more plants recorded as growing at Mt. Hallasan National Park than on any other mountain. 33 of these plants are only found on this mountain.

Jeju Island is home to 947 insects species. It is also home to 8 different reptiles, 8 different amphibians, 198 different types of birds and more than 17 mammals.

Jeju Island is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. This list was created from a global pole taken from 2007 to 2011.

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Table Mountain

Table Mountain is featured on Cape Town's flag.

It got its name because of its flat top.

The highest point of Table Mountain is 3,563 feet above sea level. It's called Maclear's Beacon for the man who built a stone cairn at the site in 1865. It was meant to be used for a trigonometric survey.

The first recorded hike to the top of the mountain occurred in 1503 by a man named Antonio de Saldanha. This route has proven to be the easiest and most direct way to reach the main plateau.

The first woman recorded to have reached the top was Anne Barnard. She made the trek in 1790.

Today there are more than 350 trails to the top of Table Mountain.

The cableway that transports visitors (who do not want to hike) to the top was built in 1929. The capacity of the first cable car was 25 people. Today it can carry 60 to the top.

Table Mountain has many sandstone caves. The largest is Wynberg.

The original name of Table Mountain was Howrikwaggo. Translated this means ‘mountain in the sea' or ‘sea mountain'.

Table Mountain is one of the most popular visitor destinations in Cape Town and approximately 800,000 people visit it each year.

The most common animal found on the mountain is a mammal that resembles a guinea pig called the rock hyrax or the dassie. Although it resembles a guinea pig, its closest relatives are the sirenian and the elephant.

It is thought to be one of the oldest mountains in the world. The rocks of the mountain are approximately 600 million years old. The rocks at the base of the mountain are shale and the rocks at the western side are Cape granite.

Table Mountain is 6 times older than the Himalayas. It's 5 times older than the Rocky Mountains.

At least one wedding is held every week on ‘cloud 9' on the cable car's route.

There are often orographic clouds at the top of the mountain. It looks similar to smoke but is actually the result of a south-easterly wind rising up to meet the mountain's cooler air. Legend has it that this is a smoking contest between the Devil and a pirate Van Hunks. These clouds are also responsible for the beautiful lush vegetation on Table Mountain.

In the mid-18th century a French astronomer named a constellation after Table Mountain. The constellation is called Mensa. In Latin, Mensa means table. The constellation is located below Orion.Around midnight in mid-July it is possible to see Mensa from the southern hemisphere.

Table Mountain is part of the Table Mountain National Park, a name given to the park in 1998. Prior to that it was known as Cape Peninsula National Park. Inside this park which is 30 miles across, there are plants not found anywhere else in the world. In fact, 70% of its plants are not found anywhere else.

Table Mountain is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

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Conclusion

The aim of my work was achieved, as I have found lots of information about The wonders of the World. Now I know much more about them than before and ready to share my knowledge with others. I have created an interactive presentation which can be used by the students or teachers in the lessons of History, Geography and English as extra material while studying different countries.

I have studied only three lists of Wonders of the World but many more exist. We can admire the beauty of our planet from different points of view, so my work can be continued.

The list of the Internet resources:

• www.softschools.com
• www.ducksters.com
• www.kids.britanica.com
• www.kidsgen.com
• www.kidspast.com