The United States, the land of Hollywood, beautiful celebrities, Victoria’s Secret angels, and Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition supermodels. As Los Angeles is practically the entertainment capital of the world, it is just natural that all the prettiest girls in the world would flock to this city in the hope of being discovered as the next big star. This is by no means a definitive list; as a matter of fact, ranking the most beautiful celebrities in America may change on a daily basis. After all, you will never know when some Brazilian supermodel or Australian actress would suddenly arrive and take the country by storm.

Still, you can be pretty sure that the women listed below would always remain in the mix in whatever list you may find. So here now is a list of the top ten most beautiful celebrities in America in 2012.

1. Scarlett Johansson

The blonde bombshell has got it all. She has ample breasts, she has a great butt which she showed off in the opening scene of Lost in Translation, she has got the acting credentials with a string of nominations for a variety of roles, and she is multi talented, with a couple of albums to her credit and even a Tony Award for a theater performance. To top it all, she is a bankable star, appearing in such blockbusters like Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. Definitely beautiful from whatever angle you look at her, literally and figuratively.

2. Adriana Lima

The Sports Illustrated magazine’s swimsuit edition supermodel and Victoria’s Secret angel is every teenage boy’s dream. Her photos have been probably pinned up in millions of college dorms around the country. Guys go wild for her, but Lima has managed to keep a level head despite all the fame and adulation. She remains grounded, with her faith keeping her company even in the backstage of the wildest fashion shows. A lot of hearts sank when she got hooked to the Serbian basketball player Marko Jaric, but marriage has not affected her looks at all.

3. Beyonce Knowles

The bootylicious one, Beyonce may have been eclipsed recently by the rise of other pop stars like Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. But she probably is just lying low after her husband Jay Z decided to put a ring to one of the most sought after single lady in Hollywood. For fans and admirers, however, Beyonce will always be irreplaceable.

4. Megan Fox

She is smart, beautiful and sexy. She transformed us forever after her starring turn in Transformers. She is considered a modern sex symbol, and readers of FHM and Maxim magazines certainly agree. Guys will always wonder what Brian Austin Green has that he was able to hook up and marry Fox.

5. Salma Hayek

The Mexican actress with the body and the boobs has pretty much got it all.  She has starred in hit movies, her performance has been noticed by the Academy Awards when she starred in the movie Frida in 2002, and she got herself a rich husband. Plus, she has proven to be quite an adept comedian, with her guest role in 30 Rock opposite Alec Baldwin offering viewers a ton of laugh.

6. Jessica Alba

She seems to have been with us forever because she started acting at the age of 13. From The Secret World of Alex Mack, Alba graduated to a Golden Globe-nominated starring role in Dark Angel. She then co-starred in several movies, including her sexy turn in the 2005 film Into the Blue.  Since then, she has been regularly included in sexiest and most desirable women list around the world. Despite her relative inactivity, chances are she would remain as one of the most beautiful celebrities in America.

7. Bar Refaeli

She is hot, hip and happening. Bar Refaeli burst into the limelight when she appeared on the cover of the 2009 swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated magazine. Not that she was a newcomer in the business. She has actually been modeling since she was a few months old, appearing in baby commercials in her native Israel. She has had her share of controversies, including the time when she appeared semi nude in a billboard in Israel and the time when she allegedly got married to avoid compulsory military service. She is trying to make up for it by appearing in commercials for the Israeli military and by visiting Israeli Defense Forces whenever her time permits. Peace could have been had in the Middle East if she had served. After all, who in his right mind, would want to go to war against this beauty?

8. Charlize Theron

 She exposed the devil of our desires when she appeared in the 1997 movie The Devil’s Advocate. The movie highlighted her extremely beautiful face, while she also showed that she was not averse to frontal nudity when she showed her full glory in one of the film’s vital scenes. She then proved that she was more than just a pretty face with a great body when she starred in the 2003 movie Monster. Her performance there earned her an Academy Award, as well as similar wins in a host of other award-giving bodies. The noted film critic, Roger Ebert, went as far as calling it the greatest performance in the history of cinema.

9. Shakira

The perky Colombian singer has one of the sexiest hips ever. She has had several awards for her music, and she uses her fame to good use by working for charities that benefit children. She recorded the theme song of the 2010 World Cup of football, when she sang that it is time for Africa. It would have been equally appropriate if she had sung it is time for Shakira.

10. Marissa Miller

She is a swimsuit model and a Victoria’s Secret angel. Do we really need to say much more? Her appearance in the cover of the 2008 swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated made record numbers. And guys will love her forever because she also knows her football, appearing as the spokesperson of the NFL for the 2010-11 season.