Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia, a 20-year-old from Peru, was named Miss World 2004 at a ceremony in Sanya, China on 4 December. She edged out Claudia Julissa Cruz-Rodriguez, 18, of the Dominican Republic and Nancy Randall, 24, of the United States to claim the title.
The contest drew 107 competitors to the Beauty Crown Theatre in Sanya, a beachside resort on the island of Hainan. In a departure from tradition, the winner was selected entirely by public vote cast via telephone, SMS, and internet rather than by a panel of judges.
Mantilla Garcia succeeds Rosanna Davison of Ireland, daughter of singer Chris de Burgh, as title holder. Organizers announced that the 55th edition of the contest would return to Sanya for a third consecutive year, a decision partly shaped by the sectarian violence that disrupted the 2002 event in Nigeria.
The pageant drew an enthusiastic reception in Sanya, where residents had lined the streets weeks earlier to welcome the arriving contestants. China had lifted a 54-year prohibition on beauty competitions only the year before, and public interest in the format has grown sharply since the ban was removed.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in December 2004, in its own words.