Isla Del Coco
Down In
‘Seven Wonders’
Ranking
In the past few weeks,
Costa Rica’s Isla
del Coco (Cocos
Island) has lost
positions in the ranking
for the natural wonders
of the world, a contest
organized by a Swiss
foundation that also
organized a similar
competition to choose
the New Seven Wonders of
the Word, and whose
results were announced
on the symbolic day of
July 7, 2007.
As of Saturday, Aug. 30,
Cocos Island was 39 in
the online popularity
contest, which is
decided by voters from
around the world, out of
300 sites vying for the
top seven spots.
In April of this year,
New 7 Wonders had
withdrawn the fabled
“Treasure Island” off
Costa Rica’s Pacific
coast because its
candidacy had not been
backed by a state
agency. But in a matter
of days, the Ministry of
the Environment and
Energy — which runs the
offshore national park —
stepped in to make the
candidacy official, and
the island remained in
the international race.
By then, Cocos Island
was among the top seven
favorites.
Selection of the natural
wonders is done online,
with voters issuing
their electric ballot at
www.new7wonders.com. Web
surfers have until
December of this year to
pick 21 finalists, with
voting to continue
between 2009 and 2010 to
determine the winners.
According to the
organizers, the final
seven will be announced
in the autumn of 2010.
Among the natural
wonders that so far are
in the qualifying list
are the Iguazu
Waterfalls
(Brazil-Argentina),
Galapagos Islands
(Ecuador), the Mekong
River (several Asian
countries), the Amazon
jungle and river (South
America), and Mt.
Everest (China-Nepal).
Also eligible for Costa
Rica, but lagging behind
in the list, in the
Arenal Volcano,
currently at 120.
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