Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant founded in the year 2001 by Carousel Productions Inc. of the Philippines. Its organizer created the pageant after losing the rights to continue producing for the Miss Asia-Pacific pageant. In its five-year run, Miss Earth has become the third largest beauty pageant in the planet, after the Miss World and Miss Universe contests.The delegates and winners give meaning and relevance to this beauty competition by promoting worthwhile environmental causes and getting actively involved in caring for and the preservation of Mother Earth. In addition to its environmental objectives, the winner of Miss Earth is involved with international environmental projects. During pageant month (2005), Carousel brings the Miss Earth delegates to selected tourism destinations, like Fort Ilocandia, Intramuros, Bohol, and Boracay in the Philippines to showcase and promote the same to the pageant’s international viewers. The delegates also take part in treeplanting ceremonies, environmental and cultural immersion programs, sponsor visits and tours, and even a Survivor-like competition.

Wow.

Check out 101 photos of Miss Earth 2006 on flickr by pchin.