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Miss Universe 2006 took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, USA. Unlike past events, it was held on Sunday, July 23, 2006 (almost two months later than usual). A live international broadcast was made on NBC.

The 2006 pageant is the first time the United States has been a host since 1998, and the second time for Los Angeles, which last hosted the pageant in 1990. The Republic of Kazakhstan was represented for the first time, while the following countries returned after some years of absence: Iceland (1997), New Zealand (2003), Argentina (2003), St. Lucia (1977), St. Martin (2000), Ghana (2004), Estonia (2004), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2004), and the Northern Marianas (2002). The 2006 pageant also featured the most delegates in its history, with 86 delegates arriving in Los Angeles.

Natalie Glebova of Canada crowned her successor, Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico, at the conclusion of the two-hour show. Her reign was the longest ever in Miss Universe history: one year and two months, from the time she was crowned on May 31, 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Contents 1 Results 2 2006 Contestants 3 Records/Trivia 3.1 Delegates 3.2 General 3.3 Results 4 External link

[edit] Results

Image:Miss Universe 2006 Map.png

• Miss Universe 2006: Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza (Puerto Rico).
• The runners-up were:
  • 1st runner-up: Kurara Chibana (Japan)
  • 2nd runner-up: Lauriane Gilliéron (Switzerland)
  • 3rd runner-up: Lourdes Arévalos (Paraguay)
  • 4th runner-up: Tara Conner (USA)

• The following contestants made it as the top ten finalists, competing in both swimsuit and evening gown: Desiree Durán Morales (Bolivia), Alice Panikian (Canada), Valerie Dominguez Tarud (Colombia), Kenisha Thom (Trinidad and Tobago), Priscila Perales (Mexico)
• The following contestants made the top twenty semifinalists and competed in the swimsuit competition: Magali Romitelli (Argentina), Rafaela Zanella (Brazil), Betina Faurbiye (Denmark), Dina Fekadu (Ethiopia), Adrienn Bende (Hungary), Neha Kapur (India), Anna Litvinova (Russia), Josephine Alhanko (Sweden), Charm Onwarin Osathanond (Thailand), Inna Tsymbalyuk (Ukraine).

• Special awards went to:
  • Congeniality: Angela Asare (Ghana)
  • Photogenic: Lia Andrea Ramos (Philippines)
  • National costume: Kurara Chibana (Japan)

[edit] 2006 Contestants

Image:Flag of Albania.svg Albania Eralda Itaj Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Image:Flag of Angola.svg Angola Ismenia Junior Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Image:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda Shari McEwan Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Image:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina Magali Romitelli Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of Aruba.svg Aruba Melissa Laclé Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Image:Flag of Australia.svg Australia Erin McNaught Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas Samantha Carter Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Image:Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium Tatiana Silva Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Image:Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia Desirée Durán Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Finalist Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Rafaela Zanella Age: 19 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of Bulgaria (bordered).svg Bulgaria Galena Dimova Age: 24 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Image:Flag of Canada.svg Canada Alice Panikian Age: 21 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Finalist Image:Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg Cayman Islands Ambuyah Ebanks Age: 21 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Image:Flag of Chile (bordered).svg Chile Belen Montilla Age: 23 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Yinghui Gao (高颖慧, Hanyu Pinyin: Gāo Yǐnghùi) Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia Valerie Domínguez Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Finalist Image:Flag of Costa Rica (state).svg Costa Rica Fabriella Quesada Age: 22 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Image:Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia Biljana Mancic Age: 20 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus Eleni Ierodiakonou Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of the Czech Republic (bordered).svg Czech Republic Renata Langmannova Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark Betina Faurbye Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic Mía Taveras Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Image:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador Katty Lopez Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt Fawzeya Mohamed Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Image:Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador Rebeca Iraheta Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia Kirke Klemmer Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia Dina Fekadu Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of Finland (bordered).svg Finland Ninni Laaksonen Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of France.svg France Alexandra Rosenfeld Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)

Image:Flag of Georgia (bordered).svg Georgia Ekaterine Buadze Age:20 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Image:Flag of Germany.svg Germany Natalie Ackermann Montealegre Age: 26 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana Angela Asare Age: 20 Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Miss Congeniality Image:Flag of Greece.svg Greece Olympia Hopsonidou Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala Jackelinne Piccinini Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Image:Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana Alana Ernest Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary Adrienn Bende Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland Sif Aradóttir Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Image:Flag of India.svg India Neha Kapur Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of Indonesia (bordered).svg Indonesia Nadine Chandrawinata Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Image:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland Melanie Boreham Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Israel (bordered).svg Israel Anastasya Yentin Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Image:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica Cindy Wright Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Japan Kurara Chibana (知花 くらら, Chibana Kurara?) Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 1st Runner-Up Best National Costume Image:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan Dina Nuraliyeva Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Image:Flag of South Korea.svg Korea Joo Hee Kim (Hangul: 김주희, RR: Gim Ju-hui, M-R: Kim Chu-hŭi) Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Image:Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia Sanita Kublina Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon Gabrielle Bou Rached Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia Melissa Ann Tan Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) Image:Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius Isabelle Antoo Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico Priscila Perales Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Finalist Image:Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia Anna Nashandi Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Elizabeth Gray Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua Cristiana Frixione Mendoza Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Image:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria Tienepre Oki Age: 21 Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Image:Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg Northern Mariana Islands Shequita Deleon Guerrero Bennett Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) Image:Flag of Norway.svg Norway Martine Jonassen Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Image:Flag of Panama (bordered).svg Panama Alessandra Mezquita Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Image:Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay Lourdes Arevalos Age: 22 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 3rd Runner-Up

Image:Flag of Peru.svg Peru Fiorella Viñas Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines Lia Andrea Ramos Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Miss Photogenic Image:Flag of Poland (bordered).svg Poland Francys Sudnicka Age: 26 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Miss Universe 2006 Image:Flag of Russia (bordered).svg Russia Anna Litvinova Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of Serbia and Montenegro.svg Serbia and Montenegro Nada Milinic Age: 18 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Image:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore Carol Cheong Yim Foon Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Image:Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia Judita Hrubyova Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Image:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia Natasa Pinoza Age: 22 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Image:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa Thuli Sithole Age: 22 Height: 1.73 m Image:Flag of Spain.svg Spain Elisabeth Reyes Age: 21 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Image:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka Jacqueline Fernandez Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Image:Flag of Saint Lucia.svg St. Lucia Sascha Andrew-Rose Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of Sint Maarten.svg St. Martin Gisella Hilliman Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg St. Vincent and The Grenadines Shivern Peters Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Image:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Josephine Alhanko Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland Lauriane Gilliéron Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) 2nd Runner-Up Image:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand Charm Onwarin Osathanond Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago Kenisha Thom Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Finalist Image:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey Ceyla Kirazli Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Image:Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg Turks and Caicos Islands Shaveena Been Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Image:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine Inna Tsymbalyuk Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Julie Doherty Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay Fatimih Davila Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Image:Flag of the United States.svg USA Tara Conner Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) 4th Runner-Up Image:Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg US Virgin Islands JeT'aime Cerge Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Image:Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela Jictzad Viña Age: 23 Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Image:Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia Mofya Chisenga Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)

[edit] Records/Trivia

[edit] Delegates

• The two tallest delegates are from West Africa: Miss Ghana (6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and Miss Nigeria (6 ft 1 in (1.85 m))
• Three delegates have previously competed in the Miss World pageant. Trinidad and Tobago's Kenisha Thom represented her nation at Miss World 2004, and placed in the top 15. St. Lucia's Sascha Andrew-Rose also represented her nation at Miss World 2004, but failed to place. Lauriane Gilliéron of Switzerland and Tatiana Silva Braga Tavares of Belgium both competed at Miss World 2005 but failed to place as well.
• Miss Indonesia, Nadine Chandrawinata, is half German.
• The final competition evening gown for Miss USA Tara Conner was designed during a competition held on the reality television show Project Runway.
• Miss Colombia's cousin was Miss Colombia 2005 (who failed to make the cut at Miss Universe 2005) Another cousin of hers is pop singer Shakira.
• Miss Mauritius, Isabelle Antoo, is the sister of Miss Mauritius 2004, Magalie Antoo, who participated in the Miss Universe 2005 pageant in Thailand.
• This year features the most delegates in the history of the pageant - 86.
• Countries that sent delegates the previous year, but failed to send a delegate to this year's competition include: Barbados, Belize, Curacao, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, and Vietnam.
• Although selecting delegates, the British Virgin Islands and Portugal ultimately did not end up participating. The British Virgin Islands selected Deria Joseph, while Portugal was slated to be represented by Marina Rodrigues.
• There was some speculation among some pageant-related internet websites and magazines such as Missosology.org that Iraq would return after a 34-year absence to be represented by Silvia Shahakian. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, which last participated 20 years ago as Zaire and was the African pageant powerhouse, was also expected to be returning to be represented by a delegate named Mlle Diane Muzungu. However, both these speculations failed to come into fruition.
• This year's field of contestants was considered to be one of the strongest in Miss Universe history. Some favorites who didn't make the cut included Australia(whose exclusion was a surprise to many as she was a favorite to win the crown),Ghana, Indonesia,Poland(who also competed in Miss Venezuela), Spain, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela.

[edit] General

• Los Angeles hosted the pageant for the second time, having previously hosted in 1990. It is the first time the pageant has been held in the United States since 1998 (when the pageant was held in Hawaii).
• The judges at the 2006 competition include: Miss Universe 2003 Amelia Vega; Claudia Jordan (Miss USA finalist, currently a model for Deal or no Deal); ex-Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith; actor James Lesure (from NBC's "Las Vegas"); Maria Celeste Arraras (host of Telemundo's Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste); fashion photographer Patrick McMullan; Project Runway's Santino Rice; the winner of season 5 of The Apprentice, Sean Yazbeck; actress and Miss Teen USA 1990 Bridgette Wilson-Sampras; actor and comedian Tom Green; and writer Marc Cherry. Actress Bo Derek was scheduled to be a judge but was later replaced.
• This year, a top 20 was selected, rather than the usual top 15.

[edit] Results

• Countries that have placed for the first time are: Ukraine, Hungary and Ethiopia.
• Countries that got called out to the semi-finals after a long period without placement are: Denmark (39 years), Argentina (27 years), Thailand (18 years), Bolivia (16 years) and Sweden (9 years).
• Lauriane Gilliéron, 2nd Runner-Up is now Switzerland's highest placement in Miss Universe after beating their 1983 record of 3rd Runner-Up.
• Venezuela failed to place for only the second time in the past 24 years.
• Puerto Rico, with their fifth win, becomes the second most successful territory/state to compete at Miss Universe.
• Philippines wins the Miss Photogenic award two years in a row (and its sixth).
• Japan wins the Best National Costume award for the first time.

[edit] External link

• Official site

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