“Name the seven wonders of the world.” Such a common trivia quiz question, and one that many of us will confidently begin to answer.
However, there are now several different categories of the “Seven Wonders”, and knowing which ones are in each category can be most peoples first stumbling block.
I recently wrote an article on the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World and the Seven Modern Wonders.
Of the original Seven Ancient Wonders of the World the only one remaining today is the Great Pyramid in Giza. All of the others have fallen into total disrepair or been lost to time.
The other Ancient Seven Wonders are the Colossus of Rhodes, Greece, Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, modern-day Turkey, Statue of Zeus, Greece, Temple of Artemis, modern-day Turkey and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, modern-day Iraq.
The ancient “Seven Wonders of the World” were categorized by Philo of Byzantium in 250 B.C., and since then, just saying the “Seven Wonders” is now no longer specific enough for an audience to understand the parameters. So beyond the ancient wonders, there are the modern wonders and even the Natural Wonders.
So the next time someone asks you to name the Seven Wonders of the World, your first question should be to ask which of the wonders. Below we take a look at the Seven Natural Wonders of The World.
Grand Canyon
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ – FEBRUARY 8: The canyon is viewed from at sunset from the South Rim … [+]
At 277 miles long and reaching a depth of over 6,000 feet, it’s hard to really gauge the scale of the Grand Canyon’s incredible rock formation. The Colorado River has carved out the Grand Canyon over a period of two billion years.
Mount Everest
In this photograph taken on April 21, 2018, tents are gathered at Everest Base Camp some 140 km … [+]
At a height of over 29,000 feet, Mount Everest is almost as high above sea level as commercial aircraft fly. As of 2019, more than 300 climbers have died attempting to reach the summit of Everest—most of the bodies remain on the mountain.
Great Barrier Reef
Aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef of the Whitsundays in the Coral sea, Queensland, Australia. … [+]
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, with over 2,900 individual reefs making up the reef that covers 344,000 square kilometres of ocean.
Harbor of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 16, 2018: In this image: Copacabana Beach. Thousands of people … [+]
One of the world’s most beautiful harbors, that is flanked by Sugar Loaf mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue. The bay stretches for over 20 miles and is surrounded by cliffs that stretch to over 2,500 feet in height.
Aurora
MURMANSK REGION, RUSSIA – FEBRUARY 26, 2020: The Northern Lights seen over the village of Teriberka. … [+]
Also referred to as the Northern Lights, the aurora borealis is a natural display of light in the Earth’s sky at high latitude regions around the Arctic or Antarctic.
Parícutin Volcano
Aerial view of the church of the Senor de los Milagros,lord of the miracles, of San Juan Nuevo in … [+]
This volcano in Mexico will likely make many people trip up with being able to name the Seven Natural Wonders of the world. What makes Paricutin so spectacular is that not only did the last eruption last 9 years, from 1943 to 1952, but the actual sudden formation of the volcano from the cornfields allowed scientists to document the creation of a cinder cone volcano.
