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American Morning

Ask CNN: What Are the Seven Wonders of the World and How Were They Determined?

Aired April 09, 2001 - 10:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATACHA, MIAMI, FLORIDA: Hi, my name is Natacha. And I am from Miami, Florida. And my question today is: What are the Seven Wonders of the World and how were they determined?

STEPHANIE OSWALD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Natacha, there are actually several different answers to your question. When we hear the term "Seven Wonders of the World," we usually think of the ancient world, because that's where the term originates. This is a list of attractions for travelers to see on a world tour.

The list includes: the pyramids of Egypt at Giza; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the statue of Zeus at Olympia; the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus; the Temple of Diana at Ephesus; the Lighthouse of Alexandria; and the Colossus of Rhodes. Most of these ancient wonders have been destroyed over time, with the exception of the pyramids, but the phrase is very common. And depending on who you ask, you'll hear it used in many different ways.

You might hear about the Seven Modern Wonders of the World. Those include attractions like the Empire State Building in New York City, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. You might also hear about the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Those include the Grand Canyon, Australia's Ayers Rock, which is also known as Uluru, Mount Everest and the Great Barrier Reef.

But I think there's one more way to answer your question. And that's to come up with your own list of magical places when you're on vacation: your own Seven Wonders of the World.

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