| "> | | | | of San Isidro", one of the most modern districts of |
| Lima, Peru | | | | Lima, Peru's capital city. |
| Miss South America | | | | The Bahamas |
| Did you know- By 1981,the First Miss South America | | | | Did you know- Surprisingly, Miss Bahamas, Ava Marilyn |
| Universe was held in Peru's capital of Lima. This event | | | | Burke, a black beauty queen, won the Miss Photogenic |
| served as a springboard for its winning bid for the 1982 | | | | title; the second time in the 30-year history of the Miss |
| Miss Universe Pageant. Brazil's Joao Havelange, | | | | Universe that one black delegate had won the award. |
| Chairman of the FIFA, was one of the international | | | | Burke brought home her nation's first special award. |
| judges. Miss Venezuela, Irene Saez -now a | | | | The Cayman Islands |
| politician-won the trophy. | | | | Did you know- Miss Cayman Islands, Maureen Lewis, |
| Semi-finalists | | | | was the ninth Caribbean girl to win the international title |
| Did you know- The 12 semi-finalists were: Canada | | | | in 30 years of the pageant competition. Unlike her late |
| (winner), Guam (first runner-up), Italy (second runner-up), | | | | predecessor, she was a black girl. |
| Greece (third runner-up), USA (fourth runner-up), | | | | Delegates |
| England, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Germany, South Africa, | | | | Did you know- Of the foreign delegates in Lima, three |
| and Finland. They were elected among 77 candidates | | | | had competed in Miss World 1981: Ireland, Spain and |
| from Asia, Africa, Europe, South Pacific, and the | | | | Wales. For unknown reasons, Tahiti (South Pacific) and |
| Americas. There were 12 international judges, among | | | | Yugoslavia (Eastern Europe) did not attend to the MU. |
| them Cicely Tyson (actress), Franco Nero (actor), Ron | | | | Latin American Favorites |
| Duguay (Canada's athlete), and Dong Kingman | | | | Did you know- After photographs of the 77 entries |
| (painter). | | | | appeared in newspapers in Lima, Chile's Jenny Purtho |
| Miss Universe 1957 | | | | Arap became one of the pre-pageant favorites. She |
| Did you know- Peru is the birthplace of Latin America's | | | | had been seen as the first Chilean with a real chance |
| first Miss Universe: Gladys Zender Meir. Miss Zender | | | | to win the universal title. Historically Chile had not been |
| won the beauty contest in 1957. About twenty-five | | | | competitive in MU. Other favorites for Latin America |
| years later, by July 1982, she was one of the | | | | were: Ava Marilyn Burke (Bahamas/ Miss Photogenic |
| international judges in Lima (Peru), along with Mario | | | | 1982), Celice Pinto Marques da Silva (Brazil), Eva |
| Vargas Llosa, one of Latin America's most respected | | | | Lissethe Barahona (Honduras), Maria Francesca Zaza |
| and prolific authors. Since 1957, no other Peruvian has | | | | Reinoso (Peru), and Ana Teresa Oropeza |
| won the beauty contest. Today she is the "First Lady | | | | (Venezuela). |