Miss Universe 2000

Miss Universe 2000 was the 49th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Eleftheria Indoor Hall in Nicosia, Cyprus on 12 May 2000.

At the end of the event, Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana crowned Lara Dutta of India as Miss Universe 2000. It is the country's second victory in the pageant's history.

Contestants from seventy-nine countries and territories competed in this year's pageant. The competition was hosted by Sinbad, with Miss 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.

Location and date
Nicosia was announced as host city of the pageant on 1 July 1999. The country invested $3.5 million in the event, in the hope that the publicity would increase tourism, the island's main industry.

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.

Replacements
Miss Hungary Universe 2000, Ágnes Nagy couldn't participate for personal reasons, her first runner-up Izabella Kiss took her place. Miss Italia 1999, Manila Nazzaro was the initial Italian representative to Miss Universe 2000, but the Miss Italia Organization lost their Miss Universe licence that year due to MUO objections that the national contest was opened to married women and mothers since 1994. Then a new contest called The Miss for Miss Universe was organized by the American – Italian actress Clarissa Burtt from 2000 to 2005. Annalisa Guadalupi won the first edition of the pageant. Initially, Miss Russia organizers wanted to send Miss Russia 1997–1998, Yelena Rogozhina to Miss Universe 2000, but her victory at the Miss Europe 1999 contest in Lebanon made her unable to compete at Miss Universe. The winner of Miss Russia 1999, Anna Kruglova, also was ineligible for Miss Universe due to her being underage at the time. Then, the organizers of the Miss Russia contest decided to pick Miss Russia 1999 – first runner-up, Svetlana Goreva for Miss Universe 2000. Initially, the Miss Venezuela Organization chose Martina Thorogood to represent their country at both Miss Universe and Miss World 1999. However, Miss Universe officials objected to this as Thorogood placed first runner-up at Miss World 99 and there was a chance that she could become Miss World should the winner resign or lose her crown. Then MVO wanted to send Miss Venezuela 1999 1° Runner Up – Norkys Batista to Miss Universe 2000, but because she wasn't the national official titleholder, the Miss Universe officials rejected their participation. Finally a smaller pageant was held among delegates who had competed in previous Miss Venezuela competitions, and Claudia Moreno was chosen to compete at Miss Universe.

Selection committee
==== Final telecast: ====
 * Tony Robbins
 * Catherine Bell
 * André Leon Talley
 * Kim Alexis
 * Cristián de la Fuente
 * Debbie Allen
 * Serena Altschul

Contestants
Seventy-nine contestants competed for the title.

Withdrawals

 * 🇦🇹 – Simone Smrekar.
 * – No contest due to lack of Sponsorship.
 * 🇧🇧 – No contest due to lack of Sponsorship Until 2003.
 * 🇨🇰 – Miss Cook Islands 1999 and Miss South Pacific 1999, Liana Scott did not compete due to lack of Sponsorship.
 * 🇨🇼 – Miss Curaçao 2000, Jozaïne Wall, couldn't participate because she was underage. Jozaïne successfully sued the Miss Curaçao organization due to this issue and went to Miss World 2000 instead.
 * 🇬🇾 – No contest due to lack of Sponsorship.
 * 🇳🇮 – No contest due to lack of Sponsorship.
 * 🇲🇵 – Miss Northern Marianas International 1999, Michelle Boyer Sablan did not participate for undisclosed reasons.
 * 🇸🇷 – No contest held and they lost their Miss Universe licence.
 * 🇹🇷 – Miss Turkey 2000, 1° Runner up Gamze Özçelik was replaced by Cansu Dere because Özçelik was underage at the time, but Cansu Dere was forbidden by the Turkish Government to travel to the Miss Universe 2000 pageant in Cyprus, due to the current tense Turkish-Cypriot relationships over Northern Cyprus.
 * 🇻🇮 – No contest.
 * 🇿🇲 – Sidonia Mwape – Due to lack of Sponsorship.


 * Both Venezuelan candidates placed second in their respective competitions to the candidates from India

Returns
Last competed in 1982
 * 🇸🇽 SXM

Last competed in 1996

Last competed in 1998

Awards

 * 🇦🇼 - Miss Congeniality (Tamara Scaroni)
 * 🇪🇸 - Miss Photogenic (Helen Lindes)
 * 🇲🇽 - Best National Costume (Letty Murray)