A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now moved towards including inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, talent, character, and charitable involvement, through private interviews with judges and answers to public on-stage questions. Pageant titles are subdivided into Miss, Mrs. or Ms., and Teen – to clearly identify the difference between pageant divisions.
Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization. Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
Miss Earth is an annual international major beauty pageant based in the Philippines that advocates for environmental awareness, conservation and social responsibility. Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss International, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India that annually selects representatives to compete in Miss World, one of the Big Four international beauty pageants. It is organised by Femina, a women's magazine published by The Times Group.
Miss Bangladesh is a national beauty pageant in Bangladesh that annually selectes representatives to compete in Miss World (1994-2001), one of the Big Four international beauty pageants.
Chloé Mortaud is a French model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss France 2009. She had previously been crowned Miss Albigeois Midi-Pyrénées 2008, becoming the first and only woman from Midi-Pyrénées to be crowned Miss France.
Miss World 2013, the 63rd edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 28 September 2013 at Bali International Convention Center, South Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. It was the first time in Southeast Asia and it also was the first time in the pageant's history that the event was held in a Muslim majority country. Contestants from 127 countries and territories competed in this year's Miss World pageant, marking the biggest turnout for any beauty pageant globally as of 2024. Yu Wenxia of China crowned her successor Megan Young of the Philippines at the end of the event, marking the only time to date that the Philippines has won the Miss World title. This victory also made the Philippines the third country to win all of the Big Four international beauty pageants.
Miss World 2015, the 65th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 19 December 2015 at the outdoor arena of the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, China. 114 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown. Rolene Strauss of South Africa crowned her successor Mireia Lalaguna of Spain at the end of the event. It was the first time in the history of Miss World that Spain won the pageant.
Aurore Mutesi Kayibanda is a Rwandan model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Rwanda 2012.
Scholastique Mukasonga is a French-Rwandan author born in the former Gikongoro province of Rwanda. In 2012, She won the prix Renaudot and the prix Ahmadou-Kourouma for her book Our Lady of the Nile. In addition to being a finalist for the International Dublin Literary Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Mukasonga was rewarded in 2014 with the Seligmann Prize against racism and intolerance and in 2015 with the prize Société des gens de lettres. She currently resides in Normandy, France.
The Miss Universe România is a national beauty pageant that has selected Romania's representative to the Miss Universe pageant.
Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir is an Icelandic model, beauty pageant titleholder, and pole vaulter. She was crowned Miss Iceland 2015, and represented her country at Miss World 2015. Arna later won Miss Universe Iceland 2017 and represented Iceland at Miss Universe 2017.
Miss Rwanda 2009, the 2nd edition of the Miss Rwanda pageant, was held on December 19, 2009 at Gikondo Expo Grounds in Kigali.
Sonia Fergina Citra is an Indonesian model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Puteri Indonesia 2018. She represented her country at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant held in at IMPACT Arena, Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi Province, north of Bangkok, Thailand. Sonia became the sixth Indonesian, third Sumatran and the second representative of Bangka Belitung to place in the semifinals in Miss Universe history.
Irakoze Erica, professionally known as Miss Erica, was a Burundian Singer-songwriter.
Miss Burgundy is a French beauty pageant which selects a representative for the Miss France national competition from the region of Burgundy. The first Miss Burgundy was crowned in 1963, although the title was not used regularly until 1993.
