11. Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( Nastaliq : تاج محل , Devanagari : ताज महल ) is a mausoleum located in Agra , India , that was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal . The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered as the finest example of Mughal architecture , a style that combines elements from Persian , Turkish , Indian , and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." [1] While the white domed marble mausoleum is most familiar, Taj Mahal is an integrated complex of structures and was completed around 1648. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is generally considered as the principal designer of Taj Mahal. [2]
14. Bora Bora Bora Bora is in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia , an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean . The island, located about 230 km (140 miles) northwest of Papeete , is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef . In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu , the highest point at 727 m (2,385 ft). The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora , meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th century accounts, is Bolabolla (or "Bollabolla"). The products of the island are mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra . At the August 2007 census, the population on the island was about 8,880 people. The island is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of Bora-Bora , itself in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands . The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. The products of the island are mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra .
16. Mountain Fuji Mount Fuji ( 富士山 Fuji-san ? , IPA : [ɸɯʥisaɴ]) listen ( help · info ) , is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). A dormant volcano that last erupted in 1707, it straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures just west of Tokyo , from which it can be seen on a clear day. It is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshū . Three small cities surround it, they are: Gotemba (East), Fuji-Yoshida (North) and Fujinomiya (Southwest). Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers. Mt. Fuji stands at 3,776 m (12,388 ft) high and is surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchi , Lake Yamanaka , Lake Sai , Lake Motosu and Lake Shoji . They, and nearby Lake Ashi , provide excellent views of the mountain. It is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park . It is also an active stratovolcano . The climate is very cold due to the altitude and the cone is covered by snow throughout the year. The lowest recorded temperature is -35.5C while on August 16th 2007 the highest temperature was recorded at 18.2 C.
21. Chinese Wall "Great Wall" redirects here. For other uses, see Great Wall ( disambiguation ) . The Great Wall* UNESCO World Heritage Site State Party China Type Cultural Criteria i, ii, iii, iv, vi Reference 438 Region † Asia- Pacific Inscription HistoryInscription 1987 (11th Session )* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List . † Region as classified by UNESCO. The Great Wall of China ( simplified Chinese : 长城 ; traditional Chinese : 長城 ; pinyin : Chángchéng; literally "Long wall") or ( simplified Chinese : 万里长城 ; traditional Chinese : 萬里長城 ; pinyin : Wànlǐ Chángchéng; literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li ( 里 )" [1] ) is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China , built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties . Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC. The most famous is the wall built between 220 BC and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China , Qin Shi Huang ; little of it remains; it was much farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty . [2] The Great Wall is the world's longest human-made structure , stretching over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) [3] from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia , but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. [4] It is also the largest human-made structure ever built in terms of surface area and mass . At its peak the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. [5] It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall. [6]
35. Brasil, Pantanal The Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland area, a flat landscape, with gently sloping and meandering rivers. The region, whose name derives from the Portuguese word “pântano” (meaning “swamp” or “marsh” ), is situated in South America , mostly within the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul . There are also small portions in Bolivia and Paraguay . In total, the Pantanal covers about 150,000 square kilometers (58,000 sq mi) . [1] The Pantanal floods during the wet season, submerging over 80% of the area, and nurturing the world's richest collection of aquatic plants. It is thought to be the world’s most dense flora and fauna ecosystem . It is often overshadowed by the Amazon Rainforest , partly because of its proximity, but is just as vital and interesting a part of the neotropic .
