The glamorous contestants of the Miss Universe pageant wowed the crowds this week with a spectacular display of their national costumes.

Each costume is usually chosen by the director of the respective national delegation to represent the cultural essence of a contestant's homeland.

The 2011 Miss Universe contest will host around 5,000 people inside the Credicard hall. It will air on NBC in the United States with a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.

I am very pleased to announce our partnership with media conglomerate Grupo Bandeirantes de Comunicacao and the selection of Sao Paulo as the host location for Miss Universe 2011, stated the pageant's owner, Donald Trump. Brazil is rapidly becoming an economic powerhouse and is a great place to do business. This decade, Brazil is hosting three of the greatest and most-watched worldwide events: the World Cup, the Summer Olympic Games and now, to kick it all off, Miss Universe.

Contestant will be judged in three categories, swimsuit, evening gown and the interview, as they vie for the coveted title.

Grupo Bandeirantes is delighted that we have reached an agreement with the Miss Universe Organization to host the Miss Universe 2011 pageant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, said the network's president, Joao Carlos Saad.

For the finale on Sept. 12, the outgoing Miss Universe, Mexico's Ximena Navarrete, will crown her successor.

Check out the stunning contestants in their national costumes in the slideshow:

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