The Harbor of Rio de Janiero

The Harbor is an amazing site. The Harbor is located on the east coast of Brazil, the City of Rio de Janeiro hugs the steep hillsides that meet the magnificent Guanabara Bay and it is also near the Atlantic Ocean. Portuguese explorers are believed to be the First Europeans to see the bay in the year of 1502. (Interesting fact the area was occupied by the Tupi Indians) True European settlement didn't take place until more than 60 years later, when the Portuguese came they claimed the entire region as a colony in 1494, they built a fort to keep the French traders away from the holdings. Now you can see why the Harbor of Rio de Janeiro is a very amazing site.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is very unique. The reef is the only organic collective visible from Earth's orbit. The Great Barrier Reef is located on the East coast of Australia. The reef is the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem. It was declared a World Heritage area in 1981. The Great Barrier Reef is scattered with beautiful islands and idyllic coral cays and the reef covers 300,000 square kilometers. The Great Barrier Reef is made up of about 10,000 reefs that range from 1 hectare to over 10,000 hectares in the area. There are about 600 islands. One of the most dangerous species of animals in the Great Barrier Reef is the Crown of Thorns starfish. The Great Barrier Reef is so well known over the world that it drags in boats that go over the delicate and special coral reef. When the boats go over the coral reef the gasoline the boat runs on goes into the water and sometimes kills living creatures or sometimes even the motor on the boat hits the coral reef and breaks the valuable and important coral. When the boats or ships hit the coral they either break the coral or the coral slices a hole in the bottom of the ship and can sometimes cause shipwrecks. Once the ship is sunken under water fish will go inside the ship and other creatures will go in and then coral will later be inside the ship and it makes a better habitat for the creatures. There are 30 shipwreck sites known in the marine park. The Great Barrier Reef is home of many species of animals including dugongs, and green turtles. There are varieties of dolphins and even whales, there are more than 1,500 species of fish, and there are also about 4,000 types of mollusk and more than 200 species of birdlife. There are many reasons why the Great Barrier Reef is unique.

Questions

What are the characteristics of The Seven Natural Wonders of the World?

When were The Seven Natural Wonders of the World discovered?

Where are the Natural Wonders located in the world or where do they take place?

What creatures inhabit the Seven Natural Wonders?

What are some of the changes over time.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest is a very interesting site. Mount Everest is a snow peak of the Himalayas. It is located in the country of Nepal, and stands on the border of Tibet. The history of the mountain is very unique. The expedition which first arrived at the top of the summit was in the year of 1953, even though that was the 8th attempt to climb the mountain. The peak was named after Sir George Everest. Mount Everest has the highest elevation in the world standing at the height of 29,028 feet, however the National Geographic Society has determined the height is 6 feet taller which is 29,035 feet.

The Northern Lights

The Aurora Borealis also known as The Northern Lights is one of the most amazing sites in the world. What causes the Northern Lights? The Northern Lights are caused because of the activity on the sun. Strong magnetic activity is continually taking place on the surface of the sun, and the massive electrons and ions are constantly being thrown around in space. The "Plasma" also called the solar wind, is ejected in all different directions. The only time this activity happens is when strong solar wind blow in our direction that is how some scientist believe the Northern Lights occur.

Paricutin Volcano

The creation of the Paricutin Volcano was on the afternoon of February 20, 1943. Dionisio Pulido, a farmer in the Mexican state of Michoacun, was on his field when the ground near by opened in a fissure (a narrow opening produced by cleavage or separation of two parts) 150 feet long. Volcanoes are commonplace around the world, but the Paricutin Volcano grew out of the blue instantly, which is very rare. Over time only two new volcanoes have appeared in North America. The volcano is named after the village it destroyed over time.

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a very interesting site which is well known all over the world. It was a national monument on January 11, 1908. The Grand Canyon became a national park on February 26, 1919. Even thou the Grand Canyon isn't the deepest canyon, it is still known throughout the world. There are various species of animals that call the deepest parts of the canyon home. The Colorado River flows at the bottom of the massive canyon which is 1,950 feet below sea level. The Grand Canyon is an amazing site.

Victoria Falls

The amazing Victoria Falls is 1708 meters wide, making it the largest curtain of water in the world. David Livingstone discovered Victoria Falls in the 1860's. The waterfall drops between 90 meters to even 107 meters in the Zambezi Gorge. About 550,000 cubic meters of water plummets over the edge every single minute which adds up to be 33,000,000 cubic meters every hour. Some of the residents call Victoria Falls "Mosi-oa-tunya." There are terrifying abyss and tranquil lagoons upstream, as well as, frightening hippos and deadly crocodiles. Victoria Falls is also known for its amazing kayaking, canoeing, and wonderful fishing. Victoria Falls is an interesting site.