Since the dawn of recorded history, humankind has had an inexplicable fascination with making lists. The first widely circulated list was probably the one created by Alexander of ancient Greece, who selected a list of seven sites referred to as "The Seven Wonders of the World." Unfortunately for modern travelers, of the original Seven Wonders, only the Pyramids of Giza still stand; the others — the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of King Mausolus at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the statue of Zeus at Olympia — have all been destroyed by man or nature.

　　Ever since Alexander published the world's first travel guide, people have created modern Wonders lists. Now let's focus on the seven sites listed by National Geographic as the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World."

The Empire State Building, New York, the USA

The Empire State Building was completed on November 13, 1930, and at 102 floors (1 454 feet from bottom to top) was the largest building in the world at the time.

Itaipu Dam, The Parana River, between Brazil and Paraguay

The power plants served by this massive dam supply more than 25% of Brazil's and 80% of Paraguay's energy every year. Its creation required engineers to shift the course of the Parana River, the seventh largest on Earth, displace more than 50 million tons of earth, and utilize enough iron and steel to build 380 Eiffel Towers.

The CN Tower, Toronto, Canada

The CN Tower is the tallest freestanding, man-made structure in the world, at just over 1815 feet. It is also among the most frequently visited tourist attractions in all of Canada. Visitors can test their nerve by standing on a glass floor more than 1000 feet above the ground, eat at the 360 Restaurant while enjoying the best view of Toronto imaginable, see movies, and much more.

The Panama Canal, Panama

Perhaps no single engineering project has ever consumed the amount of time, expense, and labor required to complete the Panama Canal, which allows ships to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean without sailing all the way around South America.

The Channel Tunnel, England and France

The $15 billion Channel Tunnel (informally called the "Chunnel"), which began operations in 1994, provides the first land link between England and continental Europe. The Chunnel is 31 miles long, 23 miles of this distance being underwater. At present, it consists of three interconnected tubes: one rail tunnel in each direction and a service tube.

The North Sea Protection Works, The Netherlands

Tides would flood about half of the nation on a daily basis were it not for the intricate series of dikes constructed by the Dutch over the years. After a violent storm caused enormous flooding and nearly 2 000 deaths in 1953, the Dutch government began work on the North Sea Protection Works. Three islands were constructed on sandbars in the North Sea, and a massive barrier — movable in order to allow fishermen to keep their livelihood — were erected.

The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

The Golden Gate Bridge is among the most famous bridges in the world, renowned for its impressive span (crossing the San Francisco bay) and distinctive orange color. The 4 200 foot-length of the bridge was the world's longest from its opening in 1937 until the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was completed in 1964.