Our world is full of wonders great and small, ancient and contemporary, natural and man-made. They fill us with awe through the sheer scale, radiant beauty, backbreaking effort and amazing inspiration that brought them into creation. Here are 11 marvels of the modern world that exhibit mankind’s industriousness and imagination.
Palm Jumeirah
The first and least audacious of the three Palm Islands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the world’s largest man-made islands, the Palm Jumeirah is an iconic development that heralds the future of the emirate as a beachside tourist destination. In the years since construction began in 2001, this island effectively has doubled the length of Dubai’s coastline.
The first and least audacious of the three Palm Islands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the world’s largest man-made islands, the Palm Jumeirah is an iconic development that heralds the future of the emirate as a beachside tourist destination. In the years since construction began in 2001, this island effectively has doubled the length of Dubai’s coastline.
Channel Tunnel
The Chunnel, as the 31.35-mile tunnel under the English Channel is known, opened in 1994, connecting Calais, France, with Folkestone, England. It is the second-longest tunnel in the world (behind Japan’s Seikan railway tunnel), and has the longest underwater section of any tunnel. The Eurotunnel Shuttle (pictured) is a special vehicle transport train that has the largest rail cars in the world.
The Chunnel, as the 31.35-mile tunnel under the English Channel is known, opened in 1994, connecting Calais, France, with Folkestone, England. It is the second-longest tunnel in the world (behind Japan’s Seikan railway tunnel), and has the longest underwater section of any tunnel. The Eurotunnel Shuttle (pictured) is a special vehicle transport train that has the largest rail cars in the world.
Three Gorges Dam
Located in China’s Hubei Province, this largest hydroelectric power station in the world contains a 375-mile-long reservoir within its impressive 7,661-foot concrete bulk. The scale of the controversial project is so huge that it has displaced millions of people, submerged hundreds of cultural sites in the Three Gorges area and precipitated an untold amount of damage on the regional environment. Construction began in 1994, but the dam is not expected to become fully operational until 2011.
Located in China’s Hubei Province, this largest hydroelectric power station in the world contains a 375-mile-long reservoir within its impressive 7,661-foot concrete bulk. The scale of the controversial project is so huge that it has displaced millions of people, submerged hundreds of cultural sites in the Three Gorges area and precipitated an untold amount of damage on the regional environment. Construction began in 1994, but the dam is not expected to become fully operational until 2011.
Panama Canal
One of the most difficult engineering endeavors ever attempted, the Panama Canal is a 50.72-mile-long passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that was begun by France in 1880 but completed by the U.S. in 1914. It drastically reduced shipping distances between New York and San Francisco, from 14,000 miles around Cape Horn to 6,000 when passing through the canal. During the American construction phase, 211 million cubic yards of dirt and rock were scraped away over 10 years to finish the canal.
One of the most difficult engineering endeavors ever attempted, the Panama Canal is a 50.72-mile-long passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that was begun by France in 1880 but completed by the U.S. in 1914. It drastically reduced shipping distances between New York and San Francisco, from 14,000 miles around Cape Horn to 6,000 when passing through the canal. During the American construction phase, 211 million cubic yards of dirt and rock were scraped away over 10 years to finish the canal.
Singapore Flyer
Supporting 28 air-conditioned observation capsules, which sit 28 people apiece, the Flyer began spinning over Singapore in February 2008, offering a bird’s-eye panorama of the city core. It holds the distinction of being the biggest observation wheel in the world, reaching 541 feet high and having a 492-foot diameter.
Supporting 28 air-conditioned observation capsules, which sit 28 people apiece, the Flyer began spinning over Singapore in February 2008, offering a bird’s-eye panorama of the city core. It holds the distinction of being the biggest observation wheel in the world, reaching 541 feet high and having a 492-foot diameter.
