Miss China Yu Wenxia won the Miss World crown for 2012 yesterday, defeating more than 100 hopefuls at a glittering ceremony in a Chinese mining city on the edge of the Gobi desert.

Last year's Miss World Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colmenares Ivian Sarcos of Venezuela handed over her crown in the futuristic Dongsheng stadium in the northeastern city of Ordos.

A total of 116 contestants - the highest ever - took to the stage after a dance by a troupe dressed as Mongolian warriors. This year the event took place on the arid and sparsely populated steppes of Inner Mongolia, where Ordos, 700km from the nearest beach, makes an unusual venue for the biggest pageant.

Contestants included a Kazakh doctor and a Peruvian medical student, but the bookmakers had tipped Miss Mexico Mariana Reynoso, 20, for the crown.

Narrowed down from top 15, the top seven comprised Jamaica, South Sudan, India, Australia, Brazil, China and Wales. The 15 semifinalists included India, Mexico, Australia, Jamaica, China, Wales, South Sudan, the UK, Brazil, Spain, the Philippines, the US, the Netherlands, Indonesia and Kenya.

Anchors Jason Cook and TV host Klass Myleene introduced the contestants from 116 countries, including India's Vanya Mishra.

India was awarded Miss World Beauty with a Purpose 2012 and Miss Multimedia 2012. Miss China was also awarded Miss Talent 2012, Miss World 2012 Beach Beauty was Miss Wales.

South Sudan took away the Miss World 2012 Top Model Award and Miss World Sports Woman 2012 went to Miss Sweden.

Sweden's Kiki Hakansson was the first Miss World, in 1951, while Oscar-winning US actress Halle Berry was a finalist in 1986 and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai took the crown in 1994.

Venezuela has produced the most Miss Worlds, with six, while India and Britain claimed five titles each. China has hosted the competition five times.

In 2002, the pageant was moved from Nigeria to Britain.

The Miss World flag was passed on to the next host country Indonesia where it will be held in the City of Bali. – TradeArabia News Service