Choosing the 7 Natural Wonders of Angola

Following 10 months of public vote casting, the 7 Natural Wonders of Angola were chosen – the Tundavala Fault in Huíla; the Maiombe Forest in Cabinda; the Nzenzo Grottoes in Uíge; Lake Carumbo in Lunda-Norte; the Moco Hill in Huambo; the Kalandula Falls in Malanje; the Rio Chiumbe Falls in Lunda-Sul. 

These were the beauties of nature in Angola that received most votes from July 2013 to May 2014, chosen from 27 finalists. Before the voting took place, six tele- vision channels showed 27 short films with previously unseen footage of all the finalists. The six channels were TPA1, TPA2, TPA International, RTP International, SIC International and TVI International. 

According to the organizers of the event, National Seven Wonders: “This was pioneering. Nothing like it had been done before in Angola.” There was also a road show, traversing the country’s 18 provinces, with live television cover- age of the finalists, the culture and the tradition of each area. 

The choice of the 7 Wonders was part of the program “Amo Angola” (I Love Angola), billed as a way of “preserving the wealth of nature, highlighting the national heritage, promoting tourism and regional culture.” For the selection procedure, a scientific council was set up, comprising of representatives of the Ministries of Culture, the Environment, and the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, celebrities and well known figures from each of the country’s 18 provinces. 

Angola became the first country in Africa to choose its Natural Wonders and is a first stage in the selection of the New 7 Wonders of the World, an initiative of the New 7 Wonders Foundation, which is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It was set up in 2001 by the Swiss philanthropist Bernard Weber. (TAAG Austral Magazine 2014)