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Miss Thailand 2011
Miss Thailand 2011 Chanyasorn Sakorchan pre-tapes in her National Costume onstage at Credicard Hall on September 7, 2011. © Miss Universe Organization,

Gorgeous contestants in the Miss Universe pageant wowed the crowds in Credicard Hall, in São Paulo, Brazil, this week with a spectacular display of their national costumes.

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

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

Check out the stunning array of the contestants in their national costumes: