Jun 21, 2007 12:44 pm US/Eastern
Amazing: The Search For The World's New Wonders
Selections To Be Announced 7/7/07
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GENEVA (CBS4) ―
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Taj Mahal, one of the candidates for the new 7 Wonders of the World
AP
In less than a month, the world will have 7 wonders. More than 60 million people have cast their votes for seven new wonders of the world, according to organizers of the global contest.
The Great Wall, the Colosseum and Machu Picchu are among the leading contenders to be the new seven wonders of the world as the massive poll enters its final month.
As the July 6th voting deadline approaches, the rankings can still change, the organizers say. Also in the top 10 are Greece's Acropolis, Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, Easter Island, Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer, the Taj Mahal and Jordan's Petra.
The Great Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient world, are no longer in the running after organizers decided they deserve their own unique recognition.
The winners will be announced on July 7 in Lisbon, Portugal. Latin Americans and Asians have been the most enthusiastic voters so far in the final round of 20 candidates for the world's top architectural marvels, but people from every country in the world have voted by Internet or phone, says the nonprofit organization conducting the balloting.
"It's the first ever global vote," said Tia B. Viering, spokeswoman for the "New 7 Wonders of the World" campaign.
The organizers are hoping for a final surge of voting from the United States and Europe to make the selection truly global. Rome's Colosseum, China's Great Wall, Peru's Machu Picchu, India's Taj Mahal and Jordan's Petra have been among the leaders since January while the Acropolis and the Statue of Christ Redeemer made their way up from the middle of the field to the top level, according to latest tallies.
The United States' Statue of Liberty and Australia's Sydney Opera House have been sitting in the bottom 10 since the start. Also in the bottom group are Cambodia's Angkor, Spain's Alhambra, Turkey's Hagia Sophia, Japan's Kiyomizu Temple, Russia's Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral, Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, Britain's Stonehenge and Mali's Timbuktu.
Americans and Europeans have the lowest participation so far, Viering said. "At the moment, most of the voting is coming from Latin America and Asia," she told The Associated Press. But the organizers are confident the campaign will draw more attention in the U.S. and Europe in the final phase, Viering added.
For more information and to cast your vote, just go to
www.new7wonders.com
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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