Miss Universe 2006
Encyclopedia
Miss Universe 2006, the 55th Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....

 pageant, took place at the Shrine Auditorium
Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue, in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners.-History:...

 in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, USA. Unlike past events, it was broadcast live on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 on a Sunday, July 23, 2006, almost two months later than usual.

The 2006 pageant is the first time the United States has been a host since 1998
Miss Universe 1998
Miss Universe 1998, the 47th Miss Universe pageant was held at Stan Sheriff Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA on May 12, 1998. Brook Lee, Miss Universe 1997, of the USA crowned Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago as Miss Universe 1998...

, and the second time for Los Angeles, which last hosted the pageant in 1990
Miss Universe 1990
Miss Universe 1990, the 39th Miss Universe pageant was held at Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles, USA on April 15, 1990. Mona Grudt of Norway was crowned as Miss Universe 1990. Seventy-one contestants competed for the crown....

. Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

 was represented for the first time, while the following countries returned after some years of absence: St. Lucia (1977), Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

 (1997), St. Martin (2000), Northern Marianas (2002), Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 (2003), New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 (2003), Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

 (2004), Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

 (2004), St. Vincent and Grenadines (2004), and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 (2004).

Natalie Glebova
Natalie Glebova
Natalie Glebova is a Russian Canadian beauty queen, the 2005 Miss Universe title holder.-Personal life:Glebova was born in Tuapse, Russia. She studied classical piano and graduated from a professional musical school at age of 12. She also has won various regional rhythmic gymnastics championships...

 of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 crowned her successor, Zuleyka Rivera
Zuleyka Rivera
Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza is a Puerto Rican beauty queen who held the titles Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 and Miss Universe 2006. She made her debut as a telenovela actress in Telemundo's soap opera Dame Chocolate.-Early life:...

 of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, at the conclusion of the two-hour show. Glebova's reign would be the longest ever in Miss Universe history: one year and two months. Rivera's would be one of the shortest reigns of all, just 10 months.

Placements

Final results Contestant
Miss Universe 2006
  • - Zuleyka Rivera
    Zuleyka Rivera
    Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza is a Puerto Rican beauty queen who held the titles Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 and Miss Universe 2006. She made her debut as a telenovela actress in Telemundo's soap opera Dame Chocolate.-Early life:...

1st runner-up
  • - Kurara Chibana
    Kurara Chibana
    , a Japanese model, born on March 27, 1982, is a native of Naha City . She competed in Miss Universe 2006 and ended up as the 1st Runner-up.-Miss Universe 2006:...

  • 2nd runner-up
  • - Lauriane Gilliéron
    Lauriane Gilliéron
    Lauriane Gilliéron was crowned Miss Switzerland 2005 on September 21, 2005, the first from the French-speaking part of the country in 11 years.-Miss Universe 2006:...

  • 3rd runner-up
  • - Lourdes Arévalos
    Lourdes Arévalos
    Lourdes Verónica Arévalos Elias represented her country in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant, held in Los Angeles, USA on July 23, 2006. She won the title of 3rd Runner-up. In the same year she represented Paraguay in the Reina Sudamericana 2006 beauty pageant and won the title of 2nd...

  • 4th runner-up
  •  United States - Tara Conner
    Tara Conner
    Tara Elizabeth Conner is an American beauty queen and model, who was Miss USA 2006 and has also competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants. Apart from her role as Miss USA, Conner has been employed as a model. She was a featured model on the HDNet series Bikini Fantasies in 2004,...

  • Top 10
  • - Desiree Durán
  • - Alice Panikian
    Alice Panikian
    Alice Panikian is a Bulgarian-born Canadian model who was crowned Miss Universe Canada on March 21, 2006...

  • - Valerie Domínguez
  • - Priscila Perales
  • ' - Kenisha Thom
  • Top 20
  • - Magalí Romitelli
  • - Rafaela Zanella
    Rafaela Zanella
    Rafaela Köhler Zanella is Brazilian beauty pageant titleholder of German descent who represented her country in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant.-Miss Universe Brazil 2006:...

  • - Betina Faurbye
  • - Dina Fekadu
  • - Adrienn Bende
  • - Neha Kapur
    Neha Kapur
    Neha Kapur Neha Kapur Neha Kapur (Hindi: नेहा कपूर, is an Indian beauty pageant contestant who was crowned Pond's Femina Miss India-Universe in 2006.-Biography:Born in New Delhi, Neha learned classical dance forms when she was very young...

  • - Anna Litvinova
  • - Josephine Alhanko
    Josephine Alhanko
    Josephine Alhanko, is a Swedish actress and former Miss Sweden titleholder. She is niece of the ballet dancer, Anneli Alhanko....

  • - Charm Osathanond
  • - Inna Tsymbalyuk
    Inna Tsymbalyuk
    Inna Tsymbalyuk is Miss Ukraine Universe 2006. Her interests include psychology, actuality and cooking. Growing up in Chernivtsi, she stands at 5' 9" tall. During the final competition she placed in the Top 20 semifinalists, many fans thought she could have gone further in the competition...


  • Special Awards

    Award Contestant
    Best National Costume
    • - Kurara Chibana
      Kurara Chibana
      , a Japanese model, born on March 27, 1982, is a native of Naha City . She competed in Miss Universe 2006 and ended up as the 1st Runner-up.-Miss Universe 2006:...

    • - Nadine Chandrawinata
      Nadine Chandrawinata
      Nadine Chandrawinata was Puteri Indonesia 2005, and a delegate representing Indonesia in the 2006 Miss Universe Pageant. She was the second Miss Indonesia to participate in the pageant after a long hiatus in 1996. Her mother is German and her father is Chinese Indonesian...

    • - Catalina Lopez
      Catalina López
      Catalina Mercedes "Katty" López Samán is an Ecuadorian beauty pageant contestant who won Miss Ecuador 2006...

    Miss Congeniality
  • - Angela Asare
  • Miss Photogenic
  • - Lia Andrea Ramos
    Lia Andrea Ramos
    Lia Andrea Aquino Ramos, born January 11, 1981 in Davao City, was the representative of the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant held in Los Angeles, California. Lia was also voted as Miss Photogenic that same year...


  • Telecast Judges

    The following celebrities judged the final competition.
    • James Lesure
      James Lesure
      James Lesure is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Mike Cannon on the NBC comedy-drama Las Vegas, and as Mel Ellis on the NBC/WB sitcom For Your Love. He also starred as basketball star Alonzo Pope on the ABC series Mr. Sunshine, a 2010-11 midseason replacement with Matthew...

       - Actor from NBC's Las Vegas.
    • Claudia Jordan
      Claudia Jordan
      Claudia Jordan is an American television and radio personality. She is primarily known for appearing as a model on the U.S. version of Deal or No Deal, and for competing on Season 2 of the Celebrity Apprentice.-Personal life:...

       - Model for Deal or No Deal; former Miss Rhode Island USA
      Miss Rhode Island USA
      The Miss Rhode Island USA competition is the beauty pageant that selects the representative for the state Rhode Island in the Miss USA pageant....

       (1997
      Miss USA 1997
      Miss USA 1997, the forty-sixth Miss USA pageant, was held at Shreveport, Louisiana in January and February, 1997. Delegates arrived in the city on January 19, the preliminary competition was held on February 2, 1997 and the final competition on February 5, 1997...

      ) and Miss Rhode Island Teen USA
      Miss Rhode Island Teen USA
      The Miss Rhode Island Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Rhode Island in the Miss Teen USA pageant....

       (1990
      Miss Teen USA 1990
      Miss Teen USA 1990, the eighth Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from Biloxi, Mississippi on July 16, 1990.At the conclusion of the final competition, Bridgette Wilson of Oregon was crowned by outgoing titleholder Brandi Sherwood of Idaho....

      ).
    • Sean Yazbeck
      Sean Yazbeck
      Sean Yazbeck is the winner of the fifth season of the reality show, The Apprentice, where candidates compete in several tasks on a 15-week "job interview" for a position in one of Donald Trump's companies...

       - Winner of season 5
      The Apprentice (U.S. season 5)
      The Apprentice 5 is the fifth series of The Apprentice, with Donald Trump as the Executive Producer and Host. Applications were available online and filming occurred in the fall of 2005. Sean Yazbeck was named the winner and hired by Donald Trump as the new Apprentice during the season finale...

       of The Apprentice
      The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)
      The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on NBC...

      .
    • Amelia Vega
      Amelia Vega
      Amelia Vega Polanco became the first and only Dominican woman to be named Miss Universe, in 2003. At the age of 18, she was the youngest winner since 1994....

       - Miss Universe 2003
      Miss Universe 2003
      Miss Universe 2003, the 52nd Miss Universe pageant, was held at Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. 71 delegates from around the universe competed for the crown...

      .
    • Emmitt Smith
      Emmitt Smith
      Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...

       - Former Dallas Cowboys player and Dancing with the Stars
      Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 3)
      The third season of Dancing With the Stars premiered on September 12, 2006 and ended November 15, 2006. The number of couples expanded from ten the previous season to 11....

       winner.
    • Marc Cherry
      Marc Cherry
      Marc Cherry is an American writer and producer, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives.-Early life and career:...

       - American writer and producer.
    • Tom Green
      Tom Green
      Michael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, talk show host and media personality. Best known for his shock humour brand of comedy, Green found mainstream prominence via his MTV television show The Tom Green Show...

       - Actor and comedian.
    • María Celeste Arrarás
      María Celeste Arrarás
      Maria Celeste Arrarás is a Puerto Rican journalist and actress and the host and producer of Spanish language news program Al Rojo Vivo Con Maria Celeste.- Biography :...

       - Telemundo host.
    • Patrick McMullan
      Patrick McMullan
      Patrick McMullan is an American photographer, columnist, television personality and socialite. His photo work focuses on people, particularly A-list celebrities, Superstar fashion designers, models, actors, politicians, cultural icons and the power elite....

       - Fashion photographer.
    • Bridgette Wilson-Sampras
      Bridgette Wilson
      Bridgette Leann Wilson-Sampras is an American actress, singer and model. A Miss Teen USA in 1990, Wilson holds several acting roles in television and movies, including the role of Veronica Vaughn in the movie Billy Madison, the role of Elsa Shivers in the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer, and...

       - Actress and Miss Teen USA 1990
      Miss Teen USA 1990
      Miss Teen USA 1990, the eighth Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from Biloxi, Mississippi on July 16, 1990.At the conclusion of the final competition, Bridgette Wilson of Oregon was crowned by outgoing titleholder Brandi Sherwood of Idaho....

      .
    • Santino Rice
      Santino Rice
      Santino Quinto Rice is an American fashion designer and television personality. He is best known for his appearances on the reality television programs Project Runway, RuPaul's Drag Race, and On the Road with Austin and Santino.-Early life:Rice was born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri...

       - Project Runway
      Project Runway
      Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...

       finalist.


    Note: Actress Bo Derek
    Bo Derek
    Mary Cathleen Collins , better known as Bo Derek, is an American film and television actress, model, and sex symbol, known for her role as Jenny Hanley in the 1979 comedy film 10. However, Derek's film career soon faltered; her later films, including, Bolero and Ghosts Can't Do It , were poorly...

     was scheduled to be a judge but was later replaced.

    Background Music

    • Swimsuit Competition: "Cha Cha
      Cha Cha (song)
      "Cha Cha" is the debut single from Puerto Rican reggaeton singer, Chelo from his album 360°. Chelo sang the song in Miss Universe 2006. It peaked at #16 in the Billboard Hot Latin Songs Chart.-Promo single - tracklist:...

      " by Chelo
      Chelo
      Jose Oscar Mejias Hernandez, better known as Chelo, is a Puerto Rican hip-hop and pop singer based in Miami Beach, Florida recently signed with Sony BMG as a solo artist. His debut album is called 360°, and fuses pop, urban and Latin music...

       (Live Performance)
    • Evening Gown Competition: "Bedshaped (Cosi)" by Vittorio Grigolo
      Vittorio Grigolo
      Vittorio Grigolo is an Italian singer.Grigolo was born in Arezzo, but raised in Rome.He began singing by the age of four...

       (Live Performance)

    Contestants

    • - Eralda Hitaj
      Eralda Hitaj
      Eralda Hitaj in Tirana, Albania represented Albania in Miss Universe 2006.-References:...

    • - Isménia Júnior
      Ismenia Junior
      Isménia Júnior is Miss Angola Universe 2006.Her interests include cooking, dance, music, sports, and reading. Growing up in Cabinda, she stands at 5' 8" and admires former South African President Nelson Mandela.-External links:...

    • ' - Shari McEwan
      Shari McEwan
      Shari McEwan is Miss Antigua and Barbuda Universe 2006. Her hobbies include dancing, modeling, traveling, music and reading. Born in Guyana, she stands at 5' 11" and admires Rosa Parks.- External links :*...

    • - Magalí Romitelli
    • - Melissa Laclé
    • - Erin McNaught
      Erin McNaught
      Erin McNaught is an Australian television personality and former beauty pageant titleholder who won 2006 Miss Australia and represented Australia in the Miss Universe 2006 competition...

    • - Samantha Carter
    • - Tatiana Silva
      Tatiana Silva
      Tatiana Silva Braga Tavares was Miss Belgium in 2005. She entered the pageant as Miss Brussels and represented Belgium at the Miss World contest in December 2005.She was born in the Brussels suburb of Uccle...

    • - Desiree Durán
    • - Rafaela Zanella
      Rafaela Zanella
      Rafaela Köhler Zanella is Brazilian beauty pageant titleholder of German descent who represented her country in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant.-Miss Universe Brazil 2006:...

    • - Galena Dimova
    • - Alice Panikian
      Alice Panikian
      Alice Panikian is a Bulgarian-born Canadian model who was crowned Miss Universe Canada on March 21, 2006...

    • - Ambuyah Ebanks
      Ambuyah Ebanks
      Ambuyah Ebanks is the Miss Cayman Islands Pageant 2006 winner. Born to an American mother and a Caymanian father, Ambuyah spent the early years of her childhood growing up in West Bay, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands...

    • - Belén Montilla
      Belén Montilla
      Belén Montilla Torreblanca , Miss Universo Chile 2006, was chosen on July 5, 2006 under the jury presided over by the designer José Cardoch, and the organization of Coca Cané. Montilla represented Chile in Miss Universe 2006....

    • - Gao Yinghui
    • - Valerie Domínguez
    • - Fabriella Quesada
    • - Biljana Mančić
    • - Elena Ierodiakonou
      Elena Ierodiakonou
      Elena Ierodiakonou is a Greek Cypriot model and beauty contestant. She won the Miss Star Cyprus title during the Carlsberg Pancyprean Official Beauty Contest in July 2005 and went on to represent Cyprus at the 2006 Miss Universe pageant in Los Angeles, California in July...

    • - Renata Langmannová
    • - Betina Faurbye
    • - Mía Taveras
      Mía Taveras
      Mía Lourdes Taveras López was Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2006. She competed in the Miss Universe 2006 beauty pageant in Los Angeles, California on July 23, 2006....

    • - Catalina "Katty" López
      Catalina López
      Catalina Mercedes "Katty" López Samán is an Ecuadorian beauty pageant contestant who won Miss Ecuador 2006...

    • - Fawzia Mohamed
      Fawzia Mohamed
      Fawzia Mohamed is an Egyptian beauty queen and model. She was the official Pantene Miss Egypt 2006 titleholder, at age 22. She represented Egypt in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant....

    • - Rebeca Iraheta
    • - Kirke Klemmer
    • - Dina Fekadu
    • - Ninni Laaksonen
    • - Alexandra Rosenfeld
      Alexandra Rosenfeld
      Alexandra Rosenfeld was elected Miss France in 2006. Representing the region of Languedoc, she succeeded Cindy Fabre as the 52nd Miss France on 3 December 2005....

    • - Ekaterine Buadze
      Ekaterine Buadze
      Ekaterine Buadze is Miss Georgia Universe 2006. Her hobbies include reading, music and dancing. Growing up in Georgia's capital Tbilisi, she stands at 5' 9" and admires Nino Ananiashvili, a famous Georgian ballet dancer.-External links:*...

    • - Natalie Ackermann
    • - Angela Asare
    • - Olympia Hopsonidou
      Olympia Hopsonidou
      Olympia Hopsonidou is a Greek model and beauty contestant. She won the Miss Star Hellas title in April 2006, and went on to represent Greece at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant, which was held in Los Angeles, California in July. Hopsonidou is the second of four children...

    • - Jackelinne Piccinini
    • - Alana Ernest
    • - Adrienn Bende
      Adrienn Bende
      Adrienn Bende is the winner of the Miss Universe Hungary contest in 2006, and one of the 20 semi-finalists of the Miss Universe 2006 contest from Los Angeles.-References:...

    • - Sif Aradóttir
      Sif Aradóttir
      Sif Aradóttir was Ungfrú Ísland or Miss Iceland in 2006. She is from Keflavík.At the time of her crowning as Iceland's national beauty queen, which was televised live on Icelandic Television, Sif was a student training to be an air traffic controller.Organizers of the national contest decided to...

    • - Neha Kapur
      Neha Kapur
      Neha Kapur Neha Kapur Neha Kapur (Hindi: नेहा कपूर, is an Indian beauty pageant contestant who was crowned Pond's Femina Miss India-Universe in 2006.-Biography:Born in New Delhi, Neha learned classical dance forms when she was very young...

    • - Nadine Chandrawinata
      Nadine Chandrawinata
      Nadine Chandrawinata was Puteri Indonesia 2005, and a delegate representing Indonesia in the 2006 Miss Universe Pageant. She was the second Miss Indonesia to participate in the pageant after a long hiatus in 1996. Her mother is German and her father is Chinese Indonesian...

    • - Melanie Boreham
    • - Anastacia Entin
    • - Cindy Wright
    • - Kurara Chibana
      Kurara Chibana
      , a Japanese model, born on March 27, 1982, is a native of Naha City . She competed in Miss Universe 2006 and ended up as the 1st Runner-up.-Miss Universe 2006:...


    • - Dina Nuraliyeva
    • ' - Kim Joo-hee
    • - Sanita Kubliņa
    • - Gabrielle Bou Rached
      Gabrielle Bou Rached
      Gabrielle Bou Rached, is a Lebanese model and actress. In 2005 she was crowned Miss Lebanon.-Biography:Gabrielle Bou Rached was born in Jezzine. Her mother was from Bteghrine. She modeled during her teenage years, participating in music videos for popular Arab singers, in television commercials,...

    • - Melissa Ann Tan
      Melissa Ann Tan
      -Background:Melissa Ann Tan was born in Melaka on 13 July 1981. She is of Dutch, Portuguese and Chinese descent. She graduated from Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a degree in Economics and Finance.-Miss Malaysia Universe 2006:...

    • - Isabelle Antoo
    • - Priscila Perales
    • - Anna Nashandi
    • - Elizabeth Gray
    • - Cristiana Frixione
      Cristiana Frixione
      Cristiana Frixione is a Nicaraguan beauty queen. Frixione was crowned Miss Nicaragua 2006, which was held in the Rubén Darío National Theater in Managua. She also represented Nicaragua at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant, Frixione was also crowned World Miss University in 2006.-Personal...

    • - Tienepre Oki
    • ' - Shequita Bennett
    • - Martine Jonassen
    • - María Alessandra Mezquita
      María Alessandra Mezquita
      María Alessandra Mezquita Lapadula is a pageant titleholder, was born in Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá on November 11, 1983. She was the official representative of Panamá in the 55th Miss Universe 2006 pageant, was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, USA,on July 23, 2006.Mezquita, who is ...

    • - Lourdes Arévalos
      Lourdes Arévalos
      Lourdes Verónica Arévalos Elias represented her country in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant, held in Los Angeles, USA on July 23, 2006. She won the title of 3rd Runner-up. In the same year she represented Paraguay in the Reina Sudamericana 2006 beauty pageant and won the title of 2nd...

    • - Fiorella Viñas
      Fiorella Viñas
      Fiorella Viñas is the 2006 Miss Peru. She represented the Peruvian region of Lambayeque and won the title of Miss Peru Universe. She competed at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant held on 23 July 2006 in Los Angeles, California where she didn't place as a finalist.-External links:*...

    • - Lia Andrea Ramos
      Lia Andrea Ramos
      Lia Andrea Aquino Ramos, born January 11, 1981 in Davao City, was the representative of the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant held in Los Angeles, California. Lia was also voted as Miss Photogenic that same year...

    • - Francys Sudnicka
      Francys Sudnicka
      Francys Mayela Sudnicka is a Venezuelan model of Polish ancestry.She was born in the city of Valencia, Venezuela. Barraza lived and went to school in Poland until her adolescence...

    • - Zuleyka Rivera
      Zuleyka Rivera
      Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza is a Puerto Rican beauty queen who held the titles Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 and Miss Universe 2006. She made her debut as a telenovela actress in Telemundo's soap opera Dame Chocolate.-Early life:...

    • - Anna Litvinova
    • ' - Nada Milinić
    • - Carol Cheong
    • ' - Judita Hrubyová
    • - Nataša Pinoza
    • - Thuli Sithole
    • - Elisabeth Reyes
    • - Jacqueline Fernandez
      Jacqueline Fernandez
      Jacqueline Fernandez is a Sri Lankan actress and model who works in Bollywood films. She is a former beauty queen who won the Miss Sri Lanka Universe in 2006...

    • ' - Sascha Andrew-Rose
    • ' - Gisella Hilliman
    • ' - Shivern Peters
    • - Josephine Alhanko
      Josephine Alhanko
      Josephine Alhanko, is a Swedish actress and former Miss Sweden titleholder. She is niece of the ballet dancer, Anneli Alhanko....

    • - Lauriane Gilliéron
      Lauriane Gilliéron
      Lauriane Gilliéron was crowned Miss Switzerland 2005 on September 21, 2005, the first from the French-speaking part of the country in 11 years.-Miss Universe 2006:...

    • - Charm Osathanond
    • ' - Kenisha Thom
    • - Ceyla Kirazlı
      Ceyla Kirazli
      Ceyla Kirazlı is Miss Turkey Universe 2006. Her interests include traditional dances, traveling, backgammon, swimming, music, and volleyball. Growing up in İzmir, she stands at 5' 10" and admires Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic. Her ambition is to be a world-famous...

    • ' - Shaveena Been
    • - Inna Tsymbalyuk
      Inna Tsymbalyuk
      Inna Tsymbalyuk is Miss Ukraine Universe 2006. Her interests include psychology, actuality and cooking. Growing up in Chernivtsi, she stands at 5' 9" tall. During the final competition she placed in the Top 20 semifinalists, many fans thought she could have gone further in the competition...

    • - Julie Doherty
    • - Fatimih Dávila
      Fatimih Davila
      Fatimih Dávila Sosa is the winner of Miss Universo Uruguay 2006, where she represented Punta del Este...

    •  United States - Tara Conner
      Tara Conner
      Tara Elizabeth Conner is an American beauty queen and model, who was Miss USA 2006 and has also competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants. Apart from her role as Miss USA, Conner has been employed as a model. She was a featured model on the HDNet series Bikini Fantasies in 2004,...

    •  United States Virgin Islands - JeT'aime Cerge
    • - Jictzad Viña
      Jictzad Viña
      Jictzad Nakarhyt Viña Carreño is a pageant titleholder born in Carúpano, Venezuela on May 27, 1983. She was Miss Venezuela 2005 and was the official representative of Venezuela to the Miss Universe 2006 pageant held in Los Angeles, USA on July 23, 2006....

    • - Mofya Chisenga †


    Returns

    • Last competed in 1977
      Miss Universe 1977
      Miss Universe 1977, the 26th annual Miss Universe pageant was held at the National Theater, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on July 16, 1977. 24-year-old Janelle Commissiong earned Trinidad & Tobago its first Miss Universe crown as well as becoming the first black woman to win the title...

      :
      • '

    • Last competed in 2000
      Miss Universe 2000
      Miss Universe 2000, the 49th Miss Universe pageant was held at Eleftheria Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus on May 12, 2000. 79 delegates from around the universe competed for the crown. At the conclusion of the final night, Lara Dutta of India was crowned as the new Miss Universe 2000 by Miss Universe...

      :
      • '

    • Last competed in 2002
      Miss Universe 2002
      Miss Universe 2002, the 51st edition of the Miss Universe pageant, was held in Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 29, 2002. There were 75 delegates from around the world who competed for the title Miss Universe 2002. Oxana Fedorova of Russia was crowned Miss Universe 2002 by...

      :
      • '

    • Last competed in 2003
      Miss Universe 2003
      Miss Universe 2003, the 52nd Miss Universe pageant, was held at Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. 71 delegates from around the universe competed for the crown...

      :

    • Last competed in 2004
      Miss Universe 2004
      Miss Universe 2004, the 53rd Miss Universe pageant, was held in Centro de Convenciones CEMEXPO, Quito, Ecuador on June 1, 2004. It was won by Jennifer Hawkins of Australia....

      :
      • '


    Did not compete

    - Deria Joseph
    - Marina Rodrigues.

    Crossovers

    Miss World 2009
    Miss World 2009
    Miss World 2009, the 59th Miss World pageant, was held on December 12, 2009 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. 112 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown, marking the biggest turnout in the pageant's history...

    :
    • Dina Nuraliyeva (Top 16)

    Miss World 2006
    Miss World 2006
    Miss World 2006, the 56th Miss World pageant was held at Sala Kongresowa, the main 2,897-seat auditorium at the Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw, Poland on the September 30, 2006. It was the first time ever that the pageant was held in a European city other than London, United Kingdom, having...

    :
    • Anna Nashandi (Top 17)

    Miss World 2005
    Miss World 2005
    Miss World 2005, the 55th Miss World pageant was held at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, People's Republic of China on December 10, 2005. Nine former Miss World titleholders and chairwoman of Miss World Organization Julia Morley judged the pageant. Miss World 2004 María Julia Mantilla of Peru...

    :
    • Lauriane Gilliéron
      Lauriane Gilliéron
      Lauriane Gilliéron was crowned Miss Switzerland 2005 on September 21, 2005, the first from the French-speaking part of the country in 11 years.-Miss Universe 2006:...

    • Tatiana Silva
      Tatiana Silva
      Tatiana Silva Braga Tavares was Miss Belgium in 2005. She entered the pageant as Miss Brussels and represented Belgium at the Miss World contest in December 2005.She was born in the Brussels suburb of Uccle...


    Miss World 2004
    Miss World 2004
    Miss World 2004, the 54th Miss World pageant was held at the Crown of Beauty Theatre, Sanya, People's Republic of China on December 6, 2004. The 2004 pageant marks the second straight year that Sanya played host of the pageant. Miss World 2003, Rosanna Davison of Ireland crowned her successor María...

    :
    • ' Kenisha Thom (Top 15)
    • ' Sascha Andrew-Rose

    Miss Teen International 2002
    Miss Teen International
    Miss Teen International is an annual beauty pageant for teen aged girls from the Americas and other regions of the world.The current titleholder will be crowned Miss Teen International 2010 by Nazareth Cascante of Costa Rica on Sunday 21st,2010 ....

    :
    • Fabriella Quesada (Winner)


    Miss International 2007
    Miss International 2007
    Miss International 2007, the 47th Miss International pageant was held at The Hotel Prince Park Tower, Tokyo, Japan on October 15, 2007. 61 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown marking at that time, the biggest turnout in the pageants 47 year history. That record was held until...

    :
    Miss Continente Americano 2006
    Miss Continente Americano 2006
    Miss Continente Americano 2006, the very first Miss Continente Americano pageant, was held in Guayaquil, Ecuador on August 28, 2006. Mía Taveras from the Dominican Republic was crowned as the very first Miss Continente Americano for the first lady of Ecuador María Beatríz Paret de...

    :
    • Mía Taveras
      Mía Taveras
      Mía Lourdes Taveras López was Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2006. She competed in the Miss Universe 2006 beauty pageant in Los Angeles, California on July 23, 2006....

       (Winner)

    World Miss University 2006
    World Miss University
    World Miss University is an international beauty contest held annually in Seoul, South Korea since 1986, with an average of about 40 contestants every year....

    :
    • Cristiana Frixione
      Cristiana Frixione
      Cristiana Frixione is a Nicaraguan beauty queen. Frixione was crowned Miss Nicaragua 2006, which was held in the Rubén Darío National Theater in Managua. She also represented Nicaragua at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant, Frixione was also crowned World Miss University in 2006.-Personal...

       (Winner)

    Reina Internacional del Café 2007:
    • Fabriella Quesada (Winner)

    Miss Italia nel Mondo 2007
    Miss Italia nel Mondo
    Miss Italia nel Mondo or Miss Italy in the World is an Italian beauty pageant for women of Italian heritage which has been held since 1991...

    :
    • Cristiana Frixione
      Cristiana Frixione
      Cristiana Frixione is a Nicaraguan beauty queen. Frixione was crowned Miss Nicaragua 2006, which was held in the Rubén Darío National Theater in Managua. She also represented Nicaragua at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant, Frixione was also crowned World Miss University in 2006.-Personal...

       (1st runner-up)

    Miss Caribbean Hibicous:
    • Fiorella Viñas
      Fiorella Viñas
      Fiorella Viñas is the 2006 Miss Peru. She represented the Peruvian region of Lambayeque and won the title of Miss Peru Universe. She competed at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant held on 23 July 2006 in Los Angeles, California where she didn't place as a finalist.-External links:*...

       (1st runner-up)

    Reina Sudamericana 2005
    Reina Sudamericana 2005
    Reina Sudamericana 2005, The 15th Reina Sudamericana Beauty Pageant was held in Cochabamba, Bolivia on October 14, 2005. 11 contestants was competed in the event. Diana Cepeda, Miss Colombia won the title.-Placements:-Contestants:-External links:* *...

    • Jictzad Viña
      Jictzad Viña
      Jictzad Nakarhyt Viña Carreño is a pageant titleholder born in Carúpano, Venezuela on May 27, 1983. She was Miss Venezuela 2005 and was the official representative of Venezuela to the Miss Universe 2006 pageant held in Los Angeles, USA on July 23, 2006....

       (1st Runner-up)


    Historical significance

    • A top 20 was selected, rather than the usual top 15.
    • Countries that placed for the first time were: Ukraine
      Ukraine
      Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

      , Hungary
      Hungary
      Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

       and Ethiopia
      Ethiopia
      Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

      .
    • Countries that got called out to the semi-finals after a long period without placement were: Denmark
      Denmark
      Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

       (39 years), Argentina
      Argentina
      Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

       (27 years), Thailand
      Thailand
      Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

       (18 years), Bolivia
      Bolivia
      Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

       (16 years) and Sweden
      Sweden
      Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

       (9 years). This was the longest absence in history for these countries without placements.
    • Lauriane Gilliéron
      Lauriane Gilliéron
      Lauriane Gilliéron was crowned Miss Switzerland 2005 on September 21, 2005, the first from the French-speaking part of the country in 11 years.-Miss Universe 2006:...

      , 2nd runner-up became Switzerland
      Switzerland
      Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

      's highest placement in Miss Universe, surpassing Lolita Morena
      Lolita Morena
      Lolita Laure Morena is a Swiss model, actress and television hostess.-Miss Switzerland:She was a student in archaeology when she won the Miss Switzerland pageant in 1982. She went on to represent her country at Miss World 1982 and Miss Universe 1983...

      's 1983
      Miss Universe 1983
      Miss Universe 1983, the 32nd Miss Universe pageant, was held at Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, USA on July 11, 1983. 19-year-old Lorraine Downes of New Zealand was crowned Miss Universe 1983, the first woman from that country to win the title...

       record of 3rd runner-up.
    • Venezuela
      Venezuela
      Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

       did not place for only the second time in the past 24 years.
    • Ethiopia
      Ethiopia
      Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

       was the only African country to place in the top 20.
    • Puerto Rico
      Puerto Rico
      Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

      , with their fifth win, became the second most successful territory/state (behind the USA with 7 wins) to compete at Miss Universe, followed by Venezuela with four wins. In 2008 Venezuela tied Puerto Rico with their fifth win, then moved into second place with their sixth win in 2009, dropping Puerto Rico into third place.
    • Philippines
      Philippines
      The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

       won via internet voting five Miss Photogenic awards. This is its fourth.
    • Japan
      Japan
      Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

       won the Best National Costume award for the first time.

    International broadcasting

    These are some of the networks outside the United States (telecasted on NBC
    NBC
    The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

     and Telemundo
    Telemundo
    Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....

    ) that showed the 2006 Miss Universe pageant live (or recorded earlier) in their respective countries and territories:
    • : TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...

    • : Rede Bandeirantes
      Rede Bandeirantes
      Rede Bandeirantes , officially nicknamed Band or Band Network, is a television network from Brazil, based in São Paulo. Part of the Grupo Bandeirantes de Comunicação , it aired for the first time in 1967...

       and TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...

    • : TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...

    • : Caracol and TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...

    • : TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...

    • : Gamavision, TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...

    • : Paris Première
      Paris Première
      Paris Première is a French TV channel, available on cable, satellite and the digital terrestrial service, Télévision Numérique Terrestre. It was launched on December 15, 1986 and is now wholly owned by M6.-External links:*...

    • : Indosiar
      Indosiar
      Indosiar is a publicly owned national television station in Indonesia, and has been operating from West Jakarta since 1994. It was listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange in 2004. Citibank Singapore has an 8.5 percent shareholding...


    • : Televisa
      Televisa
      Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...

       and TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...

    • : Telemundo
      Telemundo
      Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....

    • : Telemetro and TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...

    • : ATV
    • : RPN-9
    • : Telemundo
      Telemundo
      Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....

    • : Channel 7
    • (host country): NBC
      NBC
      The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

       and Telemundo
      Telemundo
      Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....

    • : Venevisión
      Venevisión
      Venevisión is one of Venezuela's largest television networks and a Venezuelan cable and terrestrial television network, which is owned and presided over by Gustavo Cisneros...

       and TNT
      Turner Network Television
      Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...



    External links

    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
    x
    OK