July 7, 200719 yr 60 million vote to name new Wonders of the World Last updated at 16:28pm on 6th July 2007 Comments (3) The Eiffel Tower in Paris More than 60 million people have voted in a poll to establish the seven new Wonders of the World - making it one of the biggest global polls ever conducted. The leading sites so far included the Taj Mahal, the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the mysterious stone statues of Easter Island. Several lists have been compiled over the years of possible modern wonders The latest contenders from the 2007 book of Guinness World Records are: • The Empire State Building officially opened on May 1, 1931, as the world's tallest building and a remarkable engineering feat with abysmal timing, coming as the Great Depression was deepening. After the twin towers of the World Trade Center were destroyed by suicide hijackers in 2001, it resumed its place as the tallest in New York city. Scroll down for more ... India's Taj Mahal is one of the favourites for the New Wonders of the World New York's Empire State Building is another tipped to feature in the top seven • The Itaipu Hydroelectric power plant links Brazil and Paraguay and covers 4.7 miles (7.7 km) of dam, generating 75 million megawatt-hours of electricity a year. • The CN Tower completed in 1975 is the world's tallest tower. Standing in Toronto, Canada it rises to 553.34 metres (1,815 ft). • The 82 km (51 mile) long Panama Canal connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. Opened in August 1914, more than 27,000 workers are believed to have died during its construction. • The Channel Tunnel consists of two 50 km long (31 miles) train tunnels, and a third smaller service tunnel as an emergency exit. It was opened in 1994 to connect Britain to France under the Channel. Scroll down for more ... The Coliseum in Rome - despite its age - is collecting votes as one of the 'new' wonders • The North Sea Protection Works were begun in 1923. The series of floodgates, dams and storm barriers was built to combat the forces of nature faced by the Netherlands. • Golden Gate Bridge was formally the world's longest and tallest suspension bridge. The 227 metre (746 feet) towers and their 128,000 km (80,000 miles) of wire strike an imposing view over San Francisco Bay, California.
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