The annual Miss Universe 2009 beauty pageant will happen on August 23 at the Imperial Ballroom, Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas.

Many are awaiting who will be the successor of Miss Universe 2008, Dayana Mendoza from Venezuela. This year, 84 countries have sent their delegates. A short video showing their names, countries and photos of their swimsuit and evening gown can be watched below.



For the first time, the Bahamas will host the Miss Universe pageant. The hosting nation has never had a semifinalist. Meanwhile, Miss Panama Diane Broce has already won the Best National Costume during the preliminary judging.

Presenting, the Miss Universe 2009 Contestants:



The Miss Universe 2009 beauty pageant will broadcast live on NBC and Telemundo. The presenters will be Billy Bush and Claudia Jordan. Guests for the coronation night are Flo Rida, David Guetta, Kelly Rowland, and Heidi Montag.

Click HERE to view the Miss Universe 2009 Float Parade photo gallery

Click HERE to view the Evening Gown pictures.

Dont forget to call Atlantis box office for tickets on 363-6601 or click HERE for more details.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The Government wants the produce of farmers and fishermen insured in the event of a hurricane.

And, to that end the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has been designing a plan for The Bahamas.

Last weekend, Charles Stutley, risk insurer adviser with the World Bank met with farmers and fishermen at the Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre to apprise them of the studies done.

Also participating in the discussions were Director of Agriculture Simeon Pinder, and Simon Wilson of the Ministry of Finance.

There were representatives from Abaco, Exuma, San Salvador, Long Island, Crooked Island, Grand Bahama and Andros.

Traditionally the Government gave out relief funds, ?but that has a certain effect upon the budget,? noted Agriculture and Marine Resources Under Secretary Phillip Miller.

?We do not know in any budget year if or when a storm is coming and how much damage it would cause.?

In 2003 the Government asked FAO for technical assistance in coming up with an insurance scheme for crop damage during a storm.

Mr Stutley?s visit is the third for an FAO representative on this matter.

?The Government wants to institute a crop insurance scheme for farmers and fishermen,? said Mr Miller.

?For full coverage, we are looking at situations where farmers and fishermen will not have to pay a burdensome premium. The technicians are looking at all the options.?

A demand survey conducted in 2006 showed that most farmers were in favor of insurance.

?Something can be done,? said Mr Miller. ?We live in a hurricane prone zone. As the economy develops, the damage done in agriculture and fisheries will also increase.

?Today persons are coming up with big investments in poultry and green house farming. The question is how can we come up with an insurance that would indemnify them against damages.?

Photo: FAO risk insurer adviser Charles Stutley makes a point during discussion with farmers and fishermen on product insurance. (BIS photo/Letisha Henderson)

Miss Tanzania, Illuminata Wize poses for a photo at the Cain Pool at the Cove, Atlantis at the VIP Pool party hosted yesterday evening where contestants and reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza got the chance to mingle with each other and guests.

photo by Oniel Bain

Miss Universe 2009 Fashion Showcase - Live at the Sheraton Hotel, Nassau Bahamas.

6:10pm - People are starting to queue up at the entrance of the Sheraton Hotel which is hosting this years Miss Universe 2009 Fashion Show.
The press are starting to arrive and set up to record and report on this fabulous event. The catwalk and lighting both look absolutely fabulous. The press area, where we're sitting, is located right at the end of the catwalk, and I'm positionedright at the front.

6:20pm - Now all the press is swarming in and they are everywhere. Miss Universe is going to get some great exposure with the amount of press here tonight. The audience is now settling in and everything seems to be going to plan - looks very well organized.

6:45pm - The hallway and entrance is now full of people and all are looking very excited anticipating a great night. The last of the poeple are now getting ushered to their seats by the beautiful VIP ushers. Alexandra Deal, Tricia Hilton, Leslia Miller, Amanda Newton, Shavala Walker and Kendra Wilkinson are the stunning ushers tonight. The band has now arrived and is preparing to start. The band is the one and only Visage.

6:50pm - All the Ministry of Tourism staff and the Miss Universe staff are doing a great job and are very well organized. The VIP ushers are back and forth all over the place, showing people to there seats.

7:00pm - Visage are hitting their opening number and the atmosphere is great.

7:03pm - An announcer has just implored the audience to take there seats as the show is about to start.

7:06pm - We are now told that it is one minute before the show starts.

7:08pm - The show begins with host Charles Sealey and current Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza.
Tonight's designer collections will be Rachel Turnquest-Garcia of Rachel's Boutique, Basheva Eve of La Mainson de Bech and Sabrina Francis of Se'B Fashion Designing. The fabric will be from Jeff Birch, Androsia and Linda Brown, Bahama Hand Prints. 85 gamorous ladies will show off these stunning designs with the Miss Universe 2009 crown at stake.

First up is Miss Honduras- Belgica Suarezand, Miss Thailand - Chutima Durongdek, Miss Angola - Nelsa Alves, Miss Poland - Angelika Jakubowska, Miss Sweden - Renate Cerljen, Miss Curacao - Angenie Simon, Miss Cyprus - Klelia Yiasemidoy, Miss Uruguay - Cinthia D'Ottone, Miss Serbia - Dragana Atlija, Miss Philippines - Bianca Manalo, Miss Romania - Bianca Constantin, Miss Bolivia - Dominique Peltier, Miss Argentina - Johanna Lasic, Miss Panama - Diana Broce, Miss Egypt - Elham Wagdi, Miss Colombia - Michelle Roullard, Miss Costa Rica - Jessica Umana, Miss India - Ekta Chowdhry and then the audience claps as Miss Ukraine, Kristina Kots-Gotlib comes out and the audience screams and claps, what a phenomenal reception for Miss Ukraine, Miss Germany - Martina Lee, Miss Netherlands - Avalon Chanel Weyzig, Miss Russia - Sofia Rudyeva, Miss Canada - Mariana Valente, Miss Nambia - Happie Ntelamo, Miss Aruba - Dianne Croes, Miss Puerto Rico - Mayra Matos Perez, Miss USA - Kristen Dalton.

7:25pm - The first set of girls finish and what a great show it was. the designs were fantastic.

7:30pm - The next set of Miss Universe pageant girls are now getting ready to come out on stage. First comes Miss Mexico - Karla Carrillo, then Miss Korea - Nari, Miss Australia - Rachaek Finch, Miss Singapore - Rachel Kum, Miss Kosovo - Margona Dragusha, Miss Ireland - Diana Donnelly, Miss Jamaica - Carolyn Yapp, Miss El Salvador - Mayella Mena, Miss Slovenia - Mirela Karac, Miss Peru - Karen Schwarz, Miss Great Britain - Clair Cooper, Miss Guam - Racine Manley, Miss Bulgaria - Elitsa Lyubenova, Miss Japan - Emiri Miyasaka, Miss Finland - Essi Poysti, Miss Zambia - Andella Matthews, Miss Guyana - Jenel Cox, Miss Vietnam - Hoang Yen Vo, Miss Malaysia - Joannabelle NG, Miss Georgia - Lika Orjonikidze, Miss New Zealand - Katie Taylor, Miss Estonia - Diana Arno, Miss Spain - Estibaliz Pereira Rabade, Miss Hungary - Suzan Budai, Miss Dominican Republic - Ada de la Cruz Ramirez, Miss Nicaragua - Indiana Sanchez and last but not least Miss Iceland - Ingibjorg Egilsdottir.

7:40pm - Visage start playing and everyone is enjoying it, great Bahamian music.

7:50pm - We are now ready for the next set of Miss Universe Pageant girls to come one. Charles Sealy has announced that the winner will receive a dress designed by Jeff St John from the House of St John and also a Harl Taylor Bag.

First up is Miss Turks & Caicos - Jewel Selver, then Miss Cayman - Nicosia Lawson, Miss Venezuela - Stefania Fernandez, Miss Norway - Eli Landa, Miss Ecuador - Sandra Vinces, Miss Paraguay - Mareike Baumgarten, Miss Croatia - Sarah Cosic, Miss Indonesia - Zivanna Letisha Siregar, Miss Italy - Laura Valenti, Miss Brazil - Larissa Costa, Miss France - Chloe Mortaud, Miss Ethiopia - Melat Yante, Miss Tanzania - Illuminata Wize, Miss Guatemala - Lourdes Figueroa, Miss Montenegro - Anja Jovanovic, Miss Slovak Republic - Denisa Mendrejova, Miss Ghana - Jennider Koranteng, Miss Greece - Viviana Zagorianakou, Miss Turkey - Senem Kuyucuoglu, Miss Czech Republic - Lveta Lutovska, Miss Mauritius - Anais Veerapatren, Miss South Africa - Tatum Keshwar, Miss Albania - Hasna Xhukici, Miss Belgium - Zeynep Sever, Miss Lebanon - Martine Andraos, Miss China - Jingyao Wang And finally Miss Bahamas - Kiara Sherman.

As Miss Bahamas walks down the cat walk the audience goes mad, everyone clapping and screaming and shouting "Bahamas, Bahamas, Bahamas" what a great atmosphere.

8:00pm - Brynda Knowles of Brynda's Haute walks on the cat walks and the whole audience scream and clap.

The show has now finished.

8:30pm - Everyone is now starting to go outside and get ready for the Junkanoo group to parade down the street for the Miss Universe Pageant girls.

8:45PM - All the Miss Universe pageant girls start to walk down the road from the hotel to the specially erected platform where they will get a full front view of the upcoming Junkanoo band. The Junkanoo band is about 1/2 mile down the road getting ready to perform and beat the night away.

8:55pm - The Miss Universe security is moving all the press to the press area so the Junkanoo band can start to move.

8:56pm - All the Miss Universe pageant girls are seated and awaiting the Junkanoo band to perform and move towards them. The group will come from the Nassau Beach Resort and walk west towards the Raddison Hotel.

8:57pm - The road is now cleared of a few stragglers and everyone in waiting for the Junkanoo group to perform.

9:04pm - We can hear the Junkanoo drums start to kick in and they're ready to move. The crowd is starting to get very active, bouncing to that magical and distinctive Bahamian beat.

9:07pm - The Junkanoo group is heading towards the Miss Universe girls. Already many of the girls have started to dance.

9:15pm - We now have a clear view of the crew as they rush towards us in full colour and volume.

9:20pm - Pretty much all of the Miss Universe girls are now on their feet and moving to the rhythm.

9:28pm - As the world's press looks on, Junkanoo HAS arrived. All the spectators are going wild and all the Miss Universe girls are dancing like they're in a trance.

9:30pm - The girls are going wild and loving the sound of the Junkanoo music. The Junkanoo dancers stop and the Miss Universe girls come down of the seated platform and dance with them. All these gorgrous girls from all over the world are obviously having so much fun.

9:35pm - All the media have now been invited to join the Miss Universe girls and the Junkanoo dancers.

9:45pm - Drums are booming, cow bells are rattling and the girls are still dancing.

9:50pm - The press are swarming everywhere, taking video and pictures of the girls dancing.

9:52pm - The girls now go back to their seats and get some free gifts. The Junkanoo group has now passed.

10:05pm - Security are really doing their job well. They've already cleared the streets ready for the busses to come and take the girls back to the Atlantis hotel after a wonderful evening..

What a night for The Bahamas


Call Atlantis box office on 363-6601 or click HERE for more details.