Miss Angola Leila Lopes Crowned Miss Universe 2011

Leila Lopes crowned by Jimena Navarrete

Miss Angola, business student Leila Lopes of Angola, was crowned Miss Universe 2011 on September 12, 2011. This was the 60th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant and was held in the Credicard Hall in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The former Miss Universe Jimena Navarrete from Mexico crowned her successor.at the end of this event.

Miss Universe was contested by young ladies from 89 countries and territories, surpassing the previous record of 86 contestants in 2006.

Miss China, Luo Zilin

The Top 10 finalists were 2) Miss Ukraine, Olesia Stefanko, 3) Miss Brazil, Priscila Machado 4) Miss Philippines, Shamcey Supsup 5 ) Miss China, Luo Zilin, 6) Miss Australia, Scherri-Lee Biggs, 7) Miss Costa Rica, Johanna Solano 8) Miss France, Laury Thrilleman 9) Miss Panama, Sheldry Saez 10) Miss Portugal, Laura Goncalves.

Leila Lopes plans to work on HIV advocacy worldwide, in addition to helping her own country. "As Miss Angola I've already done a lot to help my people," Lopes, 25, said "I've worked with various social causes. I work with poor kids, I work in the fight against HIV. I work to protect the elderly and I have to do everything that my country needs. "I think now as Miss Universe I will be able to do much more."

Miss Australia, Scherri-Lee Biggs

The Pageant  included a final round of questions for the Top 5 finalists. This year's questions included three that might've come directly from the Ministry of Gossip, plus a couple that clearly were not loaded with any political agenda whatsoever: Questions included:

- Nude beaches are common in some parts of the world. Is public nudity appropriate or inappropriate and why?

- If you could change one of your physical characteristics, which one would it be and why?

- If you could trade lives with anyone in history, who would it be and why?

- Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person you love? Why and why not?

- What would you do to avoid fighting a war that you did not agree with it?

Miss Philippines stuck to her guns on the faith front, saying she wouldn't marry a person if she had to convert to do so, and that a person who loved her would respect her enough to love her God too. Miss Angola stuck with her own physical characteristics, thanking God for doing right by her in the looks department and reminding people that we should all respect one another. Miss China, broaching the nudity question, gave a short answer about all countries having their own rules and customs, which should all be respected. Miss Brazil said she'd handle the war problem by explaining that war is not based on respect but rather "always based on misunderstanding, it's always based on a lack of education. So I would tell this person that we should respect each other as human beings." Miss Ukraine, meanwhile, said she would swap lives with Cleopatra -- "a very powerful and strong woman who is very much worthy of respect."

Who advanced was decided in rounds of preliminary competition held during the week leading up to Monday night's show. Lopes charmed the locals in part by speaking Portuguese, a language former colonies Angola and Brazil share."She captivated the crowd and we were all behind her," said Brazilian Natalie Bursztyn, 20. "It was great that the judges also saw what the fans saw and gave her the crown."