A person seems to be able to adapt to any conditions, but at the same time, he has a developed instinct for self-preservation, forcing him to avoid extreme dangers. The paradox lies in the fact that people often leave their homes with great difficulty, even if they seem to someone too dangerous for life.
There are such territories on our planet where it is extremely difficult for an unprepared person to be. And the locals are not going to move anywhere at all.
Five most extreme places on Earth
Minqin County, China
The Chinese authorities have already declared Minqin County an ecological disaster zone and even developed a plan to resettle about two million residents. They, in fact, turned out to be hostages of two deserts, which are gradually growing and capturing more and more new territories at a speed of 10 meters per year.
For about 130 days a year, sandstorms and winds rage here. It is simply impossible to resist these natural phenomena, they literally destroy everything in their path. This area is completely dehydrated, the area of arable land has decreased by six times since 1950, but people continue to live here.
La Rinconada, Peru
There seem to be no living conditions in this working-class town. It is simply impossible to imagine how people live without basic goods, running water, or sewerage. In addition, no one takes out the garbage from La Rinconada and does not dispose of it, but simply folds it.
Here, the thermometer rarely rises above 0 degrees Celsius, and the air is so rarefied that sometimes you get short of breath, and the forces seem to disappear from the body. But at the same time, in recent years, the number of inhabitants in the city of La Rinconada has doubled.
And all because there are mines for the extraction of gold ore in its vicinity. It is they, by the way, that pose the greatest danger, since very dangerous mercury vapors are released during the processing of gold-bearing ore. But how can all this stop a person who wants to get rich quickly? Many are ready to risk their health and even their lives.
North Pole of Cold, Russia
The planet has north and south poles of cold. In the south, everything is clear, it is located in the area of the Russian Antarctic station “Vostok”. Of course, there are people there, but they do not live at the station permanently, and after expeditions and research, they return home. Two Yakut settlements compete for the title of the North Pole of Cold at once – the city of Verkhoyansk and the village of Oymyakon. Verkhoyansk is considered the coldest city on Earth, where the lowest temperature reached -67.7 degrees Celsius.
More than 1000 people live here permanently, who seems to have quite come to terms with unfriendly weather conditions. In Oymyakon, the lowest temperature was recorded, the same as in Verkhoyansk, but the average annual indicator in the village is 0.3 degrees Celsius less. Less than 500 people live in Oymyakon.
Merapi, Indonesia
Indonesia is called the world leader in volcanic activity for a reason. There are 129 active volcanoes here, and Merapi is the youngest and most active of them. It smokes almost daily, and major eruptions occur, on average, once every seven years. Despite this, about a million people still live in the vicinity of Merapi. They see the volcano as both a killer and a benefactor. People die during almost every eruption, but when the danger recedes, people who fled from the deadly lava return home again.
The fact is that volcanic ash falling on the fields near the volcano makes them extremely fertile. Farmers living nearby say that they can grow any crop and get very good harvests thanks to Merapi. At the same time, the surrounding residents always watch the smoke on the top of Merapi. When it becomes thick and black, you should think about evacuation, but if tremors are felt at the same time, it’s time to run without looking back.
Lake Kivu, Africa
About two million people live around the mesmerizing lake, located on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The lake is surrounded by mountains, covers an area of about 2700 square kilometers, and even has the island of Idjwi, one of the largest in the world of all located in fresh water. But the lake itself is a mortal danger that threatens the surrounding residents. The thing is that the lower layers of water in it contain a large amount of carbon dioxide and methane, while the reserves of the latter are estimated at 55 billion cubic meters. Earthquakes or volcanic activity can cause a release of gas, from which it will be very difficult to escape.
Some people live in conditions close to the extreme, while others prefer to experience an adrenaline rush during their holidays and go to the most picturesque corners of the planet. True, they choose this place, which not everyone can get to.
