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The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since 2000, Morley's wife, Julia Morley, co-chairs the pageant.

Alongside with its rival Miss Universe and Miss Earth contests, this pageant is one of the most publicised beauty contests in the world. The telecast of the final competition is the world's largest live annual beauty pageant television event with global viewers.

The winner spends a year travelling to represent the Miss World Organization and its various causes. Traditionally, Miss World lives in London during her reign.

Miss world 2009, the 59th Miss World beauty pageant will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, where ksenia sukhinova of Russia will crown her successor, miss world 2008. About 120 contestants are expected to attend the event.