In pictures: The modern-day beauty contest

The US is the birthplace of the modern pageant, with about 3,500 contests taking place each year there alone.

At the state-level Miss Louisiana contest, the winner goes on to compete in Miss America. But also at stake are several university scholarships – for the colleges know having pageant winners enrolled gives them valuable publicity.

It isn’t easy. For a week, the girls are chaperoned around the clock, and rehearse up to 16 hours a day.