The most dangerous places on earth
The world is a beautiful and fascinating place, with flowing mountain ranges and golden beaches attracting people from across the globe who choose to spend the little time they have away from their jobs lazing on the sand and seeing the sights, but there are certain destinations that people wouldn’t even consider going to and it isn’t because of the bad scenery. Here are a few of the most dangerous places on Earth you can possibly travel to and exactly why you shouldn’t go there.
Namibia – Skeleton coast
Located in south-eastern Africa lies a country called Namibia which has a coastline close to 1000 miles. The country is in range of something called the Benguela Current which is where water from the Indian Ocean flows round the southern tip of Africa and meets the Atlantic, causing very strong currents and high waves. The Skeleton Coast is an area where these currents often cause ships to be forced onto land where they usually end up getting smashed to pieces on the rocks. The waters around Namibia are also home to 11 species of sharks and the beaches often have predatory animals like hyenas prowling the shores.
The Izu Islands – Japan
Located on the east coast of Japan and running south for 280 miles are seven small islands that make up the Izu island chain. Each one of them is a volcanic island that has a large sulfur belt surrounding them in the sea. The last time the islands had to be evacuated was in 2000 when the sulfur mixed with other gases and caused the air to become toxic, but everyone was allowed to return after 5 years. Today people on the island are supposed to wear a mask at all times and due to the health risks they only have a tiny population. You would only need to live on the islands for a few months before your risk of developing a deadly condition would multiply.
North Sentinel island – Indian Ocean
In the Indian Ocean is a small island that exists in the same ways as any other tropical island, except for one. There is a north and south Sentinel island, with the southern one being the same as the nearby mainland, but the northern island is home to a tribe called the Sentinelese who just might be the most aggressive tribe ever encountered. No one knows why they are so hostile as they always attack everyone on sight and make no effort to establish communications. Everyone from fishermen to reporters have been killed by the tribe the second they made it to the island, and no one knows why. All attempts to talk to them have failed and if you find yourself washed up there one day and aren’t part of the tribe you can expect to be killed on sight.
The Somalian coast line
Ignoring the fact that Somalia has the worst pirate problem in the world, and also hasn’t had a centralized government since 1991, on top of the country being run by numerous militant groups it could otherwise be a nice place. Without the threat from the people who live there the very beaches themselves can be deadly. Because there hasn’t been a government for a while there’s no one to regulate the country’s waters and laws, something that other countries have taken full advantage of. If you’re a country and have a load of nuclear waste you need to get rid of but don’t have the means to process it and don’t want to pay someone else to do it, what are your choices? dump it in Somalia of course. This way of thinking has caused the beaches of the country to become the most radioactive in the world and even today the coast is littered with irradiated objects and toxic waste.
Farallon Islands – USA
Around 25 miles off the coast of San Francisco is a group of small islands that used to be a major dumping site for America’s nuclear waste. Before anyone understood radiation they disposed of their waste any way they could, which between 1946 and 1970 meant dumping it in the ocean. The exact location of the dumping site has been kept a secret but due to the massive levels of radiation around the Farallon Islands, it’s safe to say it’s quite close. The government has put restrictions on anyone visiting the islands and no civilians are allowed there under any circumstances.
Annapurna – Nepal
The most dangerous mountain in the world isn’t Mount Everest, but a huge 8,000-metre tall mountain in the Himalayas called Annapurna. The thing that makes this one the most dangerous is due to how hard it is to climb, and unlike Everest, you have to actually “climb” it with picks and spiked shoes. The mountain is very steep and has very loose rock on many of its faces, causing a large percentage of the deaths that have occurred here. Since 1950 the Mountain has been climbed around 150 times, with 53 of the people on those trips dying in the attempt. Following a guide to the top of Everest will give you a 10% of dying, compared with 30% when climbing Annapurna.
Snake island- Brazil
Located off the coast of Brazil sits a small island that looks like any other, but this one just so happens to be home to several thousand golden lancehead vipers. The island is quite small and very rocky which causes the snakes to bunch up in certain areas where they can be found with over 100 of them per square meter. The island has very heavy restrictions placed on it by the government and no civilians are allowed there under any circumstances.
The Bermuda Triangle – North Atlantic Ocean
There isn’t really an area that’s officially defined as being the Bermuda Triangle as it’s simply too big, but most maps put it starting around Puerto Rica and heading in a straight line to southern Florida before meeting up at a central point to the northeast. There has been a huge amount of talk about paranormal activity here due to the amount of ships and planes that have gone missing, but in truth, the disappearances are due to the other name it’s known by, Hurricane Alley. The area is home to some very violent weather that causes hurricanes and huge waves to frequently form and make planes and ships seemingly vanish on a regular basis.
Oymyakon – Russia
Oymyakon is a village located in the far north-eastern region of Russia and only has a population of around 500 people. The village is within the Arctic Circle and has the weather to match, with -71.2 °C (-96.2 °F) being the lowest temperature officially recorded here. The locals have no running water since all the pipes freeze and there’s a very limited amount of vegetables that can grow here. The people who live there are used to the weather and know exactly what to expect, but anyone from the outside who comes here needs to be very firmly indoors during the winter months or face North Pole-style weather.
The Darién Gap – Colombia / Panama
This strip of jungle runs for almost 100 miles and sits between two very troubled countries. The jungle is one of the thickest on earth and is home to many poisonous animals and plants, making progress through the trees limited to no more than a couple of miles a day. If the jungle doesn’t kill you then the people who live there will, though it’s unknown exactly how many armed groups patrol the gap it is classed as a grade A risk, and all travel to the region for any reason is strongly advised against.
The Zambezi River – Zambia / Zimbabwe / Mozambique
This huge river system runs for over 2,500 miles and is considered to be one of the most extreme places on earth to go rafting. The river is home to hundreds of waterfalls and rapids that pass over deep trenches and rocky outcrops, making the water here incredibly dangerous to fall into. The river is the largest source of water for the countries it runs through and attracts thousands of animals who like to stay close to its banks, including lions, hippos, and crocodiles.
Ramree island – Burma
Ramree Island isn’t an island but a sticking-out peninsula that’s connected to the mainland by a huge swamp. The island has many people living on it, but they are all aware of how to live alongside the thousands of saltwater crocodiles that call the swamp home. Sticking to the roads that connect to the mainland wouldn’t be too risky, but stray into the swamp and there’s a good chance you won’t be seen again. The island was made famous during World War two after a story of how several hundred Japanese troops tried to retreat through the swamps and were attacked by crocodiles who killed almost every single one of the soldiers.
