At the conclusion of the event,Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana crownedLara Dutta of India as Miss Universe 2000. It is the country's second victory in the pageant's history after Sushmita Sen won in 1994.
Contestants from seventy-nine countries and territories competed in this year's pageant. The competition was hosted by Sinbad, withMiss USA 1996 Ali Landry and Julie Moran providing commentary and analysis throughout the event. Elvis Crespo, Dave Koz, Montell Jordan, and Anna Vissi performed in this year's pageant.
Background
Location and date
Nicosia was announced as host city of the pageant on 1 July 1999.[2] The country invested $3.5 million in the event, in the hope that the publicity would increase tourism, the island's main industry.[3]
Conservative Cypriot church leaders protested the decision to hold the pageant on the island, claiming that millennium celebrations of the birth of Christ were more important and that the event was scandalous and would promote female nudity.[4]
Selection of participants
Seventy-nine countries and territories competed in the pageant. Four candidates were appointed to their position to replace the original winner.
Replacements
Miss Universe Hungary 2000 first runner-up Izabella Kiss replaced Miss Universe Hungary 2000 Ágnes Nagy as the representative of their country for personal reasons.Miss Italia 1999Manila Nazzaro was slated to compete in this edition. However, the Miss Italia Organization lost their Miss Universe license due to objections of the Miss Universe Organization that the contest was opened to married women and mothers,[5] and the license was transferred to Italian actressClarissa Burt who organizedThe Miss for Miss Universe contest which will select the new Italian representative to Miss Universe.[6] Annalisa Guadalupi won the pageant. Miss Russia 1999 first runner-up Svetlana Goreva was appointed to represent Russia as Miss Russia 1999 Anna Kruglova is underage, and Miss Russia 1997–1998 Yelena Rogozhina won theMiss Europe 1999 contest.[7][8]
Initially, Miss Venezuela 1999Martina Thorogood was chosen to represent their country at both Miss Universe andMiss World 1999.[9] However, Miss Universe officials objected to this as Thorogood placed first runner-up at Miss World 1999 and there was a chance that she could become Miss World should the winner resign or lose her crown.[10] Miss Universe officials also objected the participation of Miss Venezuela 1999 first runner-upNorkys Batista because she was not the national official titleholder. Finally, a smaller pageant was held among delegates who had competed in previous Miss Venezuela competitions, andClaudia Moreno was chosen to compete at Miss Universe.[11]
Returns and withdrawals
This edition marked the returns of Sint Maarten who last competed in1982; Denmark who last competed in1996, and Bulgaria, Guam, the Netherlands, Norway, and Zimbabwe who last competed in1999.[12]
Austria, Barbados, Bonaire, Guyana, Nicaragua, Suriname, and the United States Virgin Islands withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Miss Cook Islands 1999, Liana Scott, and Miss Zambia 2000, Sidonia Mwape, withdrew due to lack of sponsorship.[13] Miss Curaçao 2000, Jozaïne Wall, withdrew for being underage. Michelle Boyer Sablan of the Northern Mariana Islands withdrew for personal reasons.[14][15] Miss Turkey 2000 first runner-up,Gamze Özçelik was replaced byCansu Dere for being underage.[16] However, Dere was forbidden by the Turkish government to travel to the Miss Universe 2000 pageant in Cyprus, due to the current tenseTurkish-Cypriot relationships over Northern Cyprus.[17]
Results
Miss Universe 2000 participating nations and results
^abThe event was televised live at 08:00 pmlocal time (UTC+03:00) in various broadcasters around the world. For the United States, it was tape delayed to make way for the primetime broadcast.
^"Cyprus to host Miss Universe in millennium". Agence France Press. 1 July 1999.
^Kambas, Michele (1 July 1999). "Cyprus to host Miss Universe next year-official". Reuters.
^"Church and state feud over Miss Universe contest". Associated Press. 4 August 1999.
^"Miranda ganó Miss Venezuela" [Miranda wins Miss Venezuela].El Universal (in Spanish). 11 September 1999. Archived fromthe original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved15 May 2025.
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