The world is full of beautiful, welcoming places that feel like they were magically made for us. What we’ve gathered here today, though, are not those places. From the absolute coldest to the highest temperatures on Earth, from landscapes that can poison you to islands where you are decidedly not welcome, some spots on the globe are just plain deadly.
We’re going to take a tour of these terrifying locales from the safety of our screens. We’re not daring you to go to those places, we’re just pointing out how good we have it that we don’t live there. Living the urban life has its down sides, but after reading this, you’ll also see the upside.
Snake Island, Brazil
As if the name wasn’t clear enough, this island is packed with golden lancehead vipers, whose venom can kill a person in under an hour. The Brazilian Navy has forbidden anyone from visiting since the 1980s.
Death Valley, USA
Home to the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth (134°F in 1913), Death Valley lives up to its name. It’s also the driest spot in North America, making it a seriously dangerous place for anyone who shows up unprepared.
Danakil Depression, Ethiopia
Imagine a place with active volcanoes, boiling sulfurous springs, and toxic gases. That’s the Danakil Depression. It has one of the highest temperatures on the planet, with the average often soaring above 95°F. It looks completely otherworldly.
Congo Basin, Central Africa
As the world’s second-largest rainforest, the Congo Basin is full of life, including a lot of things that can hurt you. Between venomous wildlife, disease-carrying insects, dense jungle and regional instability, the dangers here are very real.
North Sentinel Island, India
The danger here is the people who want to be left alone. The Sentinelese tribe has rejected outsiders for centuries, often with hostility. The Indian government prohibits travel near the island, protecting both the tribe and visitors.
Lake Natron, Tanzania
This Tanzanian lake is so alkaline (pH up to 10.5) it can burn the skin of animals that touch it. For millions of lesser flamingos, who are uniquely adapted to it, this harsh environment is a vital breeding ground.
Oymyakon, Russia
Welcome to the coldest inhabited place on Earth. In 1933, the temperature here dropped to a mind-numbing -90°F. The ground is permanently frozen, making daily life an extreme challenge and agriculture completely impossible for its residents.
Skeleton Coast, Namibia
This desolate Namibian coast is littered with the skeletons of old ships and whales. Thanks to dense fog, strong currents, and a harsh desert inland, survival was nearly impossible for shipwrecked sailors.
Mount Sinabung, Indonesia
After sleeping for centuries, this Indonesian volcano roared back to life in 2010. Mount Sinabung has erupted frequently and violently ever since, forcing evacuations and destroying villages with its deadly pyroclastic flows and clouds of ash.
The Darién Gap, Panama and Colombia
This roadless stretch of jungle separating Panama and Colombia is one of the world’s most dangerous treks. Besides treacherous terrain and venomous animals, travelers face threats from armed groups and traffickers, making any crossing extremely perilous.
Lake Nyos, Cameroon
This seemingly peaceful crater lake hides a silent killer. In 1986, it released a massive cloud of carbon dioxide that suffocated over 1,700 people in nearby villages. Degassing pipes are now in place to prevent another tragedy.
Pripyat, Ukraine
This ghost city stands frozen in time. Pripyat’s entire population was evacuated within 36 hours of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Decades later, persistent high levels of radiation make it unsafe for anyone to live there permanently.
Madidi National Park, Bolivia
This Bolivian park is incredibly biodiverse, biodiversity that includes a lot of danger. It’s filled with venomous snakes, jaguars, and insects that carry nasty diseases, making it a potentially deadly place for the unprepared traveler.
The Bermuda Triangle
This legendary patch of the Atlantic Ocean is famous for mysterious disappearances of ships and planes. While the stories are spooky, most incidents can be explained by severe weather, navigational errors, or the powerful currents of the Gulf Stream. Still, we wouldn’t go there.
Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
This remote peninsula in the Russian Far East is a geological hot spot on the Pacific Ring of Fire. With over 300 volcanoes (about 29 of them active), the region is constantly at risk of eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
The post The 15 Deadliest Places On Earth appeared first on Den of Geek.
0 Commentaires