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What Are the Seven Wonders of the Earth?

There are a handful of lists that contain various wonders of the world in their myriad of forms. In the beginning, the original seven wonders of the world list was compiled by the ancient Greeks, and as a consequence, most of them were located around the Mediterranean. All but one of these wonders (The Great Pyramid at Giza) have been destroyed. There are, however, seven natural wonders of the Earth that remain today that any adventurous traveler can visit.

Aurora Borealis
- You can sometimes catch a glimpse of Aurora Borealis from the northern US.
  
  The Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, is a naturally occurring phenomenon that happens in the spring and autumn seasons. The sun is constantly bombarding the earth with solar wind. Luckily, our planet has a protective magnetic field that shields us from the assault of these winds. Over time, however, the magnetic field gets pushed back, creating a tail. When this tail snaps back into place, the sun's particles are captured and concentrated in the strongest magnetic places on earth, the poles. This creates an unparalleled laser light show across the sky, which can be seen in Canada, Alaska and sometimes even northern parts of the U.S.
Grand Canyon
- The Grand Canyon was created by the Colorado River.
  
  The Grand Canyon is a massive canyon located in the state of Arizona. It was formed over millions of years by the Colorado River, which moved sedimentary rock and eroded the land down to a mile deep in some areas. Throughout the Grand Canyon National Park, there are over a million acres of mountains, rivers, waterfalls and valleys to explore.
Paricutin
- Paricutin is an active volcano located in Michoacán, Mexico. Perhaps the main reason that Paricutin has been dubbed a natural wonder of the world is because mankind witnessed its birth. Farmers working in a corn field in 1943 felt the ground shaking beneath them. To their surprise, the earth began cracking and spewing out the smell of sulfur. Over the next eight years, the volcano erupted and grew out of the ground. It now stands 1,345 feet high, with its last eruption taking place in 1952.
Victoria Falls
- Victoria Falls, known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (Smoke that Thunders) to the locals, are the world's tallest and widest waterfalls, coming in at a mile wide and 360 feet high. They're located in Africa on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Over 144 billion gallons of water crash down Victoria Falls every minute. Tourists can see them during either the rainy or dry season.
Great Barrier Reef
- The Great Barrier Reef is located on the eastern coast of Australia and stretches over 1,600 miles in length. It has been dubbed as the largest formation of living organisms on the planet. It's so big in fact, that it can be seen from outer space. It's composed of over 3,000 separate reefs which support an ecosystem comprised of corals, birds, dolphins, whales, tropical fish, turtles and more.
Mount Everest
- At a height of 29,029 feet, or 5 miles, the peak of Mount Everest is the highest point on earth. It's located in the Himalayan Mountains, and acts as a border between Tibet and Nepal. Although Mount Everest doesn't actually measure as the tallest mountain from base to summit, its base sits so high above sea level that it still stands as the highest peak on the planet.
Harbor of Rio De Janeiro
- Christ the Redeemer on top of Corcovado Mountain.
  
  Last, but not least, is the Harbor of Rio De Janeiro. This spectacle of wonder seems deceivingly simple at first glance. But upon closer inspection, you'll see that this massive harbor, which sits on the coast of Guanabara Bay, displays a huge sandy beach, three mountains (Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak and the Hills of Tajuca) and a massive city behind it. It's also home to the world renowned 124-feet tall Christ the Redeemer statue which sits atop Corcovado Mountain.

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