We are living in fast times where distances are measured in terms of hours and minutes rather than kilometers or miles. There would hardly be any place on this planet not connected through road, rail or air transport. Be it dense rainforests of Amazon, hot desert of Sahara or the treacherous Death Valley in North America, you name it and you can fly there, provided that you have enough bucks in your pocket! But despite all the advancement in the modes of transport, there are many places which have remained practically untouched by human presence. Here is a list of top 10 remotest and least accessible places on Earth.
1. Alert:
Located on the northern tip of Nunavut territory of Canada, it is a small village that lies on the Arctic ocean only 800 Kilometers south of the North Pole. It is considered to be the northernmost inhabited place on the earth. Extremely cold and receiving very little sunlight for most parts of the year, the nearest place to this village is located about 2000 kilometers away. It has a military airport though which also helps in receiving external supplies from the Canadian mainland.
2. Antarctica:
Considered as the largest desert on the planet because of its cold barrenness, it is situated at the South Pole and is mostly uninhabited except for scientific bases of a few nations. The place is so cold and dry that it lacks any kind of vegetation and thus the only kind of land animals present there are Penguins and Seals. This is the largest storage of freshwater in the world but all of it is frozen and making up most of its landmass.
3. Kerguelen Islands:
These are also called the “desolation islands because of their distance from any kind of civilization. Consisting of an archipelago of several islands these are situated in the southern Indian Ocean region. The only way to reach them is by a boat ride that takes about six days from Reunion, a small island off the coast of Madagascar. The island is primarily a scientific center and also holds a French missile defense system.
4. Easter Island
Easter Island has fascinated explorers for centuries and is considered among the most inaccessible places in the world. The island lies approximately 2,100 miles west of Chile, and is now considered a special territory of this South American nation. Famous for the towering rock statues known as Moai, this island is home to less than 5,000 people –most of who are descended from the aboriginal Rapa Nui people. Visitors to Easter Island can enjoy tropical weather year-round – the temperature rarely dips below 64 degrees.
5. Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world but scientists are still uncovering its secrets. This is one of the mega Bio-Diversity regions in the world and has almost the half of world’s flora and fauna. A farming population, the newly contacted peoples had been living remotely for centuries in one of the deepest parts of the jungle near the Peruvian border and the Brazilian government has just established their contact with the outside world.
6. Mutuo
One of the most remote county in China, it’s the only county in the entire country completely inaccessible by road transport. This hasn’t always been the case – in 1993, they finally got around to building a highway. It existed for two days, carried a total of four vehicles (one of which got stuck and had to be abandoned), and was promptly swallowed up by the jungle. Today, the only access into the county is via a 200 meter long suspension cable, 100 meters in the air. Supplies such as food and medicine have to be carried in and out by hand.
7. Tibetan Plateau
Surrounded by spectacular mountain ranges, the Tibetan Plateau is the world’s highest and largest plateau. Dubbed as the Roof of the World the plateau reaches heights exceeding 5000 meters and covers an area of 2,500,000 kilometers. This is also one of the driest regions in Asia which remains frozen for most periods of the year and any settlement present here is nomadic in nature.
8. Ittoqqortoormiit
Situated in Greenland, this village is the most remote inhabited place in the western hemisphere with fewer than 500 inhabitants. For many generations, villagers have made a living hunting and trading polar bear and whale products. Fishing is difficult year round due to the harsh climate. The local heliport is the only means of access to this region for about nine months of the year. Unlike other remote areas this isn’t of much value as far as tourism is concerned.
9. Area 51
As a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base in southern Nevada its primary purpose is to support development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems. The intense secrecy surrounding the base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and given that the US government didn’t even acknowledge its existence until 2003, it’s a hard place to visit indeed unless you are the president of USA itself or somebody with a lot of reach there. This is a part of many great urban legends and has been.
10. Cape York Peninsula
A huge expanse of untouched wilderness situated on the northern tip of Australia, the region has a population of only 18,000 people, and it is considered to be one of the largest undeveloped places left in the world. But this factor helps contribute to its amazing natural beauty, by making it out of bounds except for a few hardcore nature enthusiasts. The peninsula has become a popular destination for adventurous tourists, who drive jeeps and trucks down the unpaved Peninsula Development Road whenever it isn’t closed due to flooding during the rainy season.
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