Dead Sea Nominated as One of the World's Seven New Wonders

Currently #18 in the voting, the Dead Sea is still not yet assured of its place as one of the 77 finalists for New World Wonder. This is because not all of the three entities that it borders - Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority - have yet formed an official supporting committee. The rules laid out by the New7Wonders Foundation, which is behind the New7Wonders campaign, state that this can disqualify it from being included among the finalists. 

But this has not stopped Israel's Megillot Regional Council, whose towns border the Dead Sea, from nominating it as Israel's choice for New Wonder of the World. Every country is allowed to have one nominated wonder in the final voting, in addition to wonders that it shares with other countries. The final voting will begin next July.  

Lowest and Saltiest

Megillot Council head Mordechai Dehan says the Dead Sea holds two worlds records: "It is the lowest place on earth, and the saltiest. It is truly one of the wonders of the world, and I hope that we will also receive confirmation from the world's population on this."

The shores of the Dead Sea, at 420 meters below sea level, are the lowest point on Earth on dry land. With 30% salinity, it is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean, and approximately three times more saline than Great Salt Lake in Utah.

This coming Chanukah, on Dec. 27, a mass bicycle ride will be held around the Israeli shores of the Dead Sea, as part of the campaign calling to "Save the Dead Sea!"  The Sea has been shrinking drastically in recent years, losing approximately a meter of height each year.  This is largely due to heavy consumption of water from the Jordan River, the source of the Dead Sea.

To vote in the international competition for the Seven New Wonders of the World, visit <http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/vote_on_nominees/?firstselect=6:102>.

The Red Sea Reef

Just ahead of the Dead Sea in the worldwide voting is the Red Sea Reef, shared as a nominee by no fewer than eight countries: Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.  It, too, has not yet been finally approved for the finalist selection, apparently because no country has yet formed an official supporting committee.

Despite this, voters from around the world have placed the Red Sea in 17th place worldwide. A rich and diverse ecosystem, more than 1,100 species of fish have been recorded there, including about 110 found nowhere else. The rich diversity is in part due to the 1,240 miles of coral reef extending along its coastline, which form platforms and lagoons along the coast.