Miss Universe 2004
June 1st in Quito, Ecuador

The reigning Miss Universe, 19 year-old Amelia Vega Polanco from the Dominican Republic, is not only a high school graduate, but also aspires to be famous one day. Her year has been an exciting one, as she makes appearances in Hispanic-American events throughout the United States, on top of invitational gala's in places as far and diverse as Thailand, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

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This year's delegates arrive on May 12th for a packed two weeks of activities. The theme for this year's gallery: "Beauty from a Different Perspective"

Confirmed Contestants for Miss Universe 2004

ANGOLA Telma Sonhi Age:18 Years Old Height: 5'7" (1.72 m) Home: Lunda-Sul Education/Profession: Business Studies Title: Miss Angola 2003	ANTIGUA & BARBUDA Ann-Marie Browne Age: Years Old Height: Home: Education/Profession: Title: Hand-picked	ARUBA Zerelda 'Zizi' Lee Age: 21 Years Old Height: 5'9" (1.75 m) Home: Education/Profession: Model Title: Hand-picked Veteran: First Runner-Up, Miss World 2001	AUSTRALIA Jennifer Hawkins Age: 20 Years Old Height: 5'10" (1.78 m) Home: Newcastle Profession: Model Title: Hand-picked
AUSTRIA Daniela Strigl Age:Years Old Height: Home: Education/Profession: Title: Hand-picked	BAHAMAS Raquel Horton Age:24 Years Old Height: 5'5" (1.64 m) Home: New Providence Education/Profession: Model Title:Miss Bahamas Universe 2004	BARBADOS Cindy Batson Age:18 Years Old Height: 5'9.5" (1.77 m) Home: Bridgetown Education/Profession: Insurance Industry Title: Miss Barbados Universe 2004	BELGIUM Lindsy Dehollander Age:Years Old Height: '" ( m) Home: Anterpen Education/Profession: Title:First Runner-Up, Miss Belgie 2003
BELIZE Leilah Pandy Age:23 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.72 m) Home: Belize City Education/Profession: Biology Student; Sales Rep. Title: Miss Belize Universe 2003	BOLIVIA Gabriela Oviedo Age:20 Years Old Height: 6'0" (1.82 m) Home: Santa Cruz Education/Profession: Enginerring Student Title: Srta. Bolivia 2003 Veteran: Cont., Reina Sudamerica 2003 and Miss Atlantico Int'l 2004	BOTSWANA Icho Kealotswe Age: 22 Years Old Height: Home: Education: Student Title: Hand-picked	BRAZIL Fabiane Niclotti Age:19 Years Old Height: 6'0" (1.82 m) Home: Gramado Education: Nursing Student Title: Miss Brasil 2004
BULGARIA Ivaila Petrova Age:Years Old Height: Home: Education/Profession: Title: First Runner-Up, Miss Bulgaria 2004	CANADA Venessa Fisher Age:18 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.72 m) Home: Watertown, Ontario Education/Profession: High School Senior Title: Miss Universe Canada 2004	CAYMAN ISLANDS Stacey Ann Kelley Age: Years Old Height: Home: Education/Profession: Title: Miss Cayman Islands 2004	CHILE Gabriela Alejandra Barros Tapia Age: 23 Years Old Height: 5'9" (1.75 m) Home: Education/Profession: Title: Hand-selected
CHINA Zhang Meng Age: 23 Years Old Height: 5'7" (1.71 m) Home: Beijing Profession: None Title: Miss China Universe 2004	COLOMBIA Catherine Manchola Age:20 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.72 m) Home: Valle Education/Profession: Economics Student Title: Señorita Colombia 2003	COSTA RICA Nancy Soto Age:22 Years Old Height: 6'0" (1.81 m) Home: Heredia Education/Profession: Bilingual Education Title: Miss Costa Rica 2004	CROATIA Marijana Rupcic Age:18 Years Old Height: 5'10" (1.78 m) Home: Nuštar Education: Psychology Student Title: Miss Universe Croatia 2004
CURACAO Angeline Silva Age:Years Old Height: Home: Education/Profession: Title: Hand-picked	CYPRUS Nayia Iacovidou Age:21 Years Old Height: 5'5.5" (1.66 m) Home: Nicosia Education/Profession: Nursing Student Title: Star Cyprus 2003	CZECH REPUBLIC Lucie Vachova Age: Years Old Height: Home: Sonsonate Education/Profession: Title: Miss Czech 2003	DENMARK Tina Christensen Age: Years Old Height: 5'7" (1.71 m) Home: Profession: Modelling Title: Hand-picked Veteran: Semi-finalist, Miss Europe 2002; First Runner-Up, Miss Baltic Sea 2003
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Larissa Fiallo Age:20 Years Old Height: 5'10" (1.78 m) Home: La Vega Education/Profession: Hospitality Management Student Title: Miss Republica Dominicana Universo 2004	ECUADOR Maria Susana Rivadeneira Age: 24 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.80 m) Home: Guayaquil Profession: Model Title: Miss Ecuador 2004	EGYPT Heba El-Sisy Age: 21 Years Old Height: 5'7" (1.72 m) Home: Education: Law Student Title: Miss Egypt Universe 2004	EL SALVADOR Gabriela Mejia Age: Years Old Height: 5'5.5" (1.65 m) Home: Sonsonate Education/Profession: Legal studies Title: Miss El Salvador 2004
ESTONIA Sirle Kalma Age: 22 Years Old Height: 5'9" (1.75 m) Home: Vidlajana Education/Profession: Title: Miss Estonia 2004	ETHIOPIA Ferehyiwot Abebe Age: 19 Years Old Height: 5'9.5" (1.77 m) Home: Gonder Education: Computer Student Title: Miss Universe Ethiopia 2004	FINLAND Mira Salo Age: 22 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.72 m) Home: Profession: Sales Assistant Title: Miss Suomi 2004	FRANCE Laëtitia Bleger Age:22 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.73 m) Home:Alsace Profession: Air Hostess Title: Miss France 2003
GEORGIA Nina Murtazashuili Age: Years Old Height: Home: Education: Title: Hand-picked	GERMANY Shermine Sharivar Age: 19 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.73 m) Home: Süddeutschland Education: Literature Student Title: Miss Deutschland Universe 2004	GHANA Minaye Donkor Age:23 Years Old Height: 6'1" (1.84 m) Home: Toronto, Canada Education/Profession: Marketing Graduate and Upcoming Supermodel Title: Hand-picked	GREECE Valia Kakouti Age: 23 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.80 m) Home: Profession: Ballet Instructor Title: Star Hellas 2004
GUATEMALA Marva Weatherborn Age: 19 Years Old Height: 5'10" (1.78 m) Home: Puerto Barrios Profession: None Title: Miss Guatemala 2004	GUYANA Odessa Phillips Age: 21 Years Old Height:5'11" (1.81 m) Home:West Demerara Education/Profession: Law Graduate Title: Miss Guyana Universe 2004 Veteran: Contestant, Miss World 2002	HUNGARY Blanka Bakos Age:18 Years Old Height:5'7" (1.71 m) Home: Ibrany Education/Profession: Title: Miss Universe Hungary 2004	INDIA Tanushree Dutta Age: Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.73 m) Home: Jamshedpur Education/Profession: B Com student Title: Femina Miss India Universe 2004
IRELAND Cathriona Duignam Age: 19 Years Old Height: 5'6.5" (1.70 m) Home: Dundrum Education: Pharmacy Student Title: Miss Ireland Universe 2004	ISRAEL Gal Gadot Age: 18 Years Old Height: 5'9" (1.75 m) Home: Giv'at Tal Education: Student Title: Israel's Queen of Beauty 2004	ITALY Laia Manetti Age: Years Old Height: '" ( m) Home: Education/Profession:	JAMAICA Christine Straw Age: 23 Years Old Height: 5'10" (1.78 m) Home: Profession: Actress-Film Production Title: Hand-picked Veteran: Top Ten and Caribbean Queen of Beauty, Miss World 1998
JAPAN Eri Machimoto Age:20 Years Old Height: 5'5.5" (1.66 m) Home: Education/Profession: None Title: Miss Universe Japan 2004	KENYA Anita Maina Age: Years Old Height: '" ( m) Home: Education/Profession: Title: Veteran:	KOREA Yoon Young Choi Age: Years Old Height: '" ( m) Home: Education/Profession: Title:	LEBANON Marie-Jose Hnein Age:19 Years Old Height5'9" (1.76 m) Home: Baabda Education/Profession: Studying Business Management Title: Miss Lebanon 2003 Veteran: 9th, Miss World 2003
MALAYSIA Andrea Fonseka Age: 19 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.80 m) Home: Penang Education: Aspiring Law Student Title:Miss Malaysia Universe 2004	MEXICO Rosalva Luna Age:21 Years Old Height: 5'9" (1.76 m) Home: Los Mochis, Sinaloa Education/Profession: Law Student Title: Nuestra Belleza de Mexico 2003	NETHERLANDS Lindsay Grace Pronk Age: 21 Years Old Height: 5'9" (1.75 m) Home: Haarlem Education: English Language/Culture Student Title: Miss Nederland Universe 2004
NICARAGUA Marifely Arguello Cesar Age: 22 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.72 m) Home: Managua Education: Graphic Design Student Title: Miss Nicaragua 2004	NIGERIA Mary Jane Unueroh Onajite - Anita Queen Uwagbale Age: 18 Years Old Height: Home: Education: Accounting Student Title: MBG Nigeria 2004	NORWAY Kathrine Sorland Age:23 Years Old Height: 5'9" (1.75 m) Home: Oslo Education/Profession: Model and TV Presenter Title: Froken Norge Universe 2004 Veteran: 4th, Miss World 2002	PANAMA Jessica Rodriguez Age:21 Years Old Height: 5'9" (1.77 m) Home: Education/Profession: Business Graduate Title: Srta. Panama Universo 2003
PARAGUAY Yanina Gonzalez Age: 23 Years Old Height: 5'10" (1.78 m) Home: Education: Advertising and Marketing Student Title: Miss Paraguay Universo 2004	PERU Liesel Holler Age: 23 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.81 m) Home: Pasco Education: Medical student Title: Miss Peru Universo 2004	PHILIPPINES Maricar Balagtas Age:21 Years Old Height: 5'7.5" (1.72 m) Home: Bulacan Education: Mass Communications Title: Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2004 Veteran: Miss Globe 2001	POLAND Paulina PanekAge: Years Old Height: Home: Education: Title: ViceMiss, Miss Polonia 2003
PUERTO RICO Alba Giselle Reyes Age:22 Years Old Height: 6'0" (1.82 m) Home: Cidra Education/Profession: Chemistry Student Title: Miss Puerto Rico Universo 2004	RUSSIA Ksenia KustovaAge:20 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.80 m) Home: Novosibirsk Cidra Education: Psychology Student Title: Miss Russia Universe 2004	ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES LaFern Fraser Age:Years Old Height: Home: Education/Profession: Title:Miss SVG 2002	SERBIA & MONTENEGRO Dragana Dujovic Age: Years Old Height: '" ( m) Home: Education/Profession: Title: First Runner-Up, Miss Serbia & Montenegro 2003
SINGAPORE Sandy Chua Age:19 Years Old Height: 5'6" (1.69 m) Home: Singapore Education/Profession: Undergraduate Title: Miss Singapore Universe 2004	SLOVAK REPUBLIC Zuzana Dvorska Age:Years Old Height: Home: Education/Profession: Title: First Runner-Up, Miss Universe SR 2004	SLOVENIA Sabina Remur Age:Years Old Height: Home: Education/Profession: Title: Miss Universe Slovenije 2004	SOUTH AFRICA Joan Ramagoshi Age:24 Years Old Height: 5'6" (1.69 m) Home: Mamelodi, Gauteng Education/Profession: Entrepreneur Title: Miss South Africa 2003
SPAIN María Jesús Ruiz Garzón Age:24 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.73 m) Home: Jaen Education/Profession: Title: Miss Espana 2004	SWEDEN Katarina Wigander Age:21 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.78 m) Home: Lerum Profession: Pilot Title: Froken Sverige 2004	SWITZERLAND Bianca Sissing Age:24 Years Old Height:5'9" (1.75 m) Home: Lucerne Education/Profession: NGO Worker Title: Miss Suisse 2003 Veteran: 11th, Miss World 2003	CHINESE TAIPEI Janie Yu-Chen Hsieh Age: 23 Years Old Height: 5'6" (1.68 m) Home: New York City Profession: Columbia Graduate Student in Public Health Title: Miss Taiwan Universe 2004
THAILAND Amy Morakat Age: Years Old Height: '" ( m) Home: Education/Profession: Title: Miss Thailand Universe 2004	TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Danielle Jones Age:25 Years Old Height 5'10" (1.78 m) Home: St. James Education/Profession: Health Communications Title: Miss Trinidad & Tobago Universe 2004	TURKS & CAICOS Shamara Ariza Age:19 Years Old Height Home: Profession: Beauty Queen Title: Miss Turks and Caicos Islands	TURKEY Fatos Segmen Age: 22 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.80 m) Home: Izmir Education: Phys. Education Student Title: First Runner-Up, Miss Turkey 2004
UKRAINE Oleksandra Nikolayenko Age: 22 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.80 m) Home: Odessa Education/Profession: Law Graduate Title: Hand-picked Experience: Top Ten, Miss World 2001; Miss Tourism World 2002	URUGUAY Nicole Dupont Age: 19 Years Old Height: 5'8" (1.73 m) Home: Montevideo Education/Profession: Studying Public Relations; In-demand model Title: First Runner-Up, Miss Uruguay para Miss Universo 2004	USA Shandi Finnessy Age: 25 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.80 m) Home: Florissant, Missouri Education: Graduate Psychology Student Title: Miss USA 2004	VENEZUELA Ana Karina Anez Age:18 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.80 m) Home: Barquisimeto, Lara Education/Profession: Postponed higher studies Title: Miss Venezuela 2003	VIETNAM Hoang Ngoc Age:19 Years Old Height: 5'11" (1.81 m) Home: Hanoi Education/Profession: Fashion Model and Fashion Student Title: Fourth Runner-Up, Miss Ha-Noi Viet-Nam 2003