Interesting uninhabited islands. What is interesting in the Seychelles Amazing Islands
Travels
There are many strange things in the world.
Some are created by nature, others are man-made.
20. La Isla de las Munecas ("Isle of the Dolls")
This island is located near the city of Mexico City. A man named Don Julian apparently went mad, abandoned his family and fled to this island, where he hung some dolls to ward off evil spirits. Some time later, he drowned.
19. Okunoshima Island
This small island is located in the Sea of Japan, near the city of Takehara. It is also called "Rabbit Island". Between 1929 and 1945, the Japanese army used the island as a test site for chemical weapons and apparently imported rabbits as test subjects. The rabbits that inhabit the island today are the descendants of those very poor animals.
18. Isola La Gaiola
Not far from the coast of Naples lies the terrible island of Gaiola. Almost every inhabitant of this island has either been killed, or drowned, or lives in devastation. Many consider this place cursed and refuse to live here.
17. Deer Island, Thousand Islands
At first glance, this island, located next to Alexandria Bay, New York, USA, looks like an old island with old houses. But in fact, it is the site of the oldest secret society "Skull and Bones" (Skull & Bones), organized by Yale students.
It is believed that only representatives of the highest elite, the heirs of the wealthiest and most influential families in the United States, become members of this secret society. Both in the past and now, members of the Skull and Bones Society hold the highest positions in the fields of politics, media, finance, as well as in the scientific and educational fields.
16. Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca
These islands, created entirely by human hands ka, are interconnected by reeds and are the property of the local Uros tribe. A long time ago, representatives of the tribe created these islands and settled on them in order to avoid problems with other tribes. Today, this tribe still lives on the islands and is engaged in fishing, and also profits from tourism.
15. Poveglia Island
This island is one of the most famous in the Venetian Lagoon, which is located in northern Italy. For many years this island served as a "dump" for the sick and the dead. Here at one time the Romans sent victims of the plague.
In 1922, a hospital for the mentally ill was built here and, according to the legend, crazy experiments were carried out in this institution. Today, the island is uninhabited; moreover, none of the locals even think of visiting it.
14. Alcatraz Island
Located in San Francisco Bay, the island was originally used as a defensive fort.
After some time, the island was turned into a military prison, and then into a super-secure prison, in which there were especially dangerous criminals, as well as those who were caught trying to escape from the previous place of detention. Here sat Al Capone himself. Today this place is a museum.
Islands in the Atlantic Ocean
13. Sable Island
Off the coast of Nova Scotia is Sable Island, also known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. All you will find on this island are horses and the wreckage of 350 ships. It is worth noting that the image of the horses of this island can be found on Canadian stamps and coins of 2005.
It will also be interesting to note that due to two counter currents: the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current, the island is moving and its speed is about 200 m / year. This sometimes leads to navigational errors.
12. Queimada Grande or Snake Island (Ilha de Queimada Grande)
There is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, near the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Queimada Grande is just full of poisonous snakes, and these are not just poisonous, but very poisonous snakes.
Moreover, the Brazilian naval forces forbid even setting foot on the coast of this island.
11. Fort Boyar
This island was built for 56 years. The project of the stone island fortress was far from easy - when the French troops completed construction in 1857, progress in the field of weaponry made this island an easy target. This led to Fort Boyar being turned into a prison.
During World War II, German troops used the island for practice shooting and caused significant damage to the structure. For the next 20 years, the Fort was in disrepair, and under the influence of waves, wind and birds continued to collapse. Only later television became interested in him, they bought the island, did the necessary restoration work and began to use it for the television game of the same name.
Islands in the Indian Ocean
10. Christmas Island
This little island is in Indian Ocean and is an external territory of Australia. It is he who is the site of one of the largest migrations of representatives of the animal world on Earth.
Every year, about 120 million crabs move from the forests to the coast for a month to breed. It is truly an exciting sight.
9. Socotra Island
The island is located in the northwest of the Indian Ocean. It is part of the Socotra archipelago and is administered by the Republic of Yemen.
Since this island was isolated from prying eyes for a long time, a wide variety of plants and animals have been preserved here, most of which cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.
8. North Sentinel Island
This island is one of Andaman Islands located in the Bay of Bengal. North Sentinel Island is officially administered by India.
The Sentinelese, the aborigines, live on northern Sentinel Island. Their number cannot be accurately determined, since they are hostile to any contact from people outside their civilization. The island currently exists in a rather unusual state of limbo.
Islands in the Pacific Ocean
7. Tashiro Island
Also known as "Cat Island", this small Japanese island is home to about 100 people and a huge number of cats and cats.
It is reported that the animals appeared on the island in the 1850s in order to control the number of rats that interfered with the silk production on the island.
Over the years, a large number of residents left the island, and the number of cats and cats began to increase. Today, the inhabitants of the island consider the animals as symbols of good luck. Tourists can even spend the night in a cat-like house.
Blue sky, white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters of the ocean, granite rocks rising directly from the water, tropical jungle and excellent service await you in this corner.
Most beautiful place islands - the bay of Source d'Argens. The popularity of the beach is known even outside the Seychelles. It is here that many people go to spend a heavenly vacation and take pictures of the most romantic landscapes. What are local sunsets! When the sun sets, the whole bay turns red, at this moment it seems that you are in a fairy tale.
The waves here are always calm, all thanks to the reef, which perfectly protects from the raging ocean waters.
There is a cafe on the beach where you can taste Creole cuisine.
In addition to excellent beach holiday in the bay, there is an opportunity to visit the L’Union Estate park, which is located next door. Entrance to the park is 100 rupees.
Source d'Argens is the perfect option for enjoying nature.
This is the most remote bay of the island, which has a length of 3 km. To get here, it is best to use a boat or boat.
snow white sandy beaches, clear calm waters, and most importantly, calm rest from the bustle of the city - attracts tourists.
In the waters of the bay you can see a wide variety of marine life (dolphins, fur seals, whales and other inhabitants underwater world). In addition, about 100 species of birds live here.
Reunion is a very popular destination for world cruises and sporting events.
The best time to visit this wonderful place is from April to November. During these months, the ocean is very calm, and getting to the bay will not be any particular problem.
Reunion is also known for the fact that it was on one of the beaches that a film was shot with Leonardo DiCaprio.
In the western part of the bay there are ancient sculptures of the 5th century AD.
5. Seychelles National Botanical Gardens (Royal Botanical Garden), Mahe Island
The Botanical Garden is located in the southern part of the Seychelles capital. These are one of the oldest national monuments in the Seychelles. There are a large number of endemic plants (about 200 species). Also, on 6 ha botanical garden exquisite orchids, fruit trees, ornamental bushes, herbs grow. Giant tortoises quietly crawl on the grass. Anyone can feed them.
Achiote bushes also grow here. Red fruits are used as natural dyes for cheeses, red fish and even cosmetics.
Entrance to the park costs 50 rupees.
Cousin Island is located 2 km from Praslin Island. It is a natural reserve. Several species of endangered animals live here. It is a nesting site for hundreds of seabirds and turtles.
The island has many low hills as it is of granite origin. The area of the island is only 26 hectares. In 1968, it was bought out and made a private reserve.
Basically, the island is inhabited only by birds. They can be seen literally everywhere: on trees and bushes, on the ground, in the sky, in the water.
The largest number of birds are white terns. Charming birds with big black eyes and blue beaks. They are constantly cleaning each other's feathers.
In addition to birds, giant tortoises Megalochelys also live on the island.
On the highest hill of the island there is a small viewpoint with stunning views of the entire area.
More than 100,000 people visit the island every year. You can visit Kuzin from Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 12 pm. Overnight stay on the island is prohibited. The tour costs 500 rupees. Film crews must obtain special permission. When visiting the island, you should observe silence and follow the advice of the guide.
Praslin Island is home to a unique nature reserve. It occupies about 20 hectares, most of the territory is covered with tropical forest. Rare sea palms Coco De Mer grow here, their seeds and fruits are the largest among all plants. And the height of palm trees can reach 30-40m.
Also in this reserve you can meet a rare species of black parrot, which lives only on Praslin. In addition to it, about a hundred unique exotic birds listed in the Red Book live here.
May Valley is included in world heritage UNESCO. Almost half of all tourists go to the Seychelles just to visit this reserve. It is visited by about a million people a year.
On the territory of the reserve there are information centre, gift shop and cafe.
The Craft Village is a very interesting place to visit and is a very popular attraction on the island of Mahe.
There are twelve huts in the village that serve as workshops. This is where the whole process of making souvenirs takes place.
In the center of the village, in an old manor, there is a museum of local lore. Old interior items (furniture, parquet, dishes) have been preserved here. Visiting the museum, you can feel the atmosphere of colonial times. Also in the museum you can learn about the history, architecture, cuisine and traditions of the island.
Well, you can watch the work of artisans in the workshop huts.
All souvenirs that can be purchased in the village are made by hand. Small models of ships, wicker baskets, straw hats are especially popular.
short facts about
UNUSUAL
GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES
Funny and strange
Name BUT have simultaneously rivers in the Netherlands, Germany, places on the Lofot Islands of Norway, as well as in France, Denmark and Sweden.
There are also two small towns with the name And- one is located in the north of France, and the other on the west coast of Finland.
There is a village in France O, though this is how it is read, although it is written not with one, but with four letters: Nauh.
Townships YU located in France and Sweden.
E- this is the name of a town in Belgium and one of the ports of Burma.
On the Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, you can visit a town called At. A similar name is given to the left tributary great river South-East Asia Mekong, in the Lao Republic and a city in South Korea.
Dad is a city in Hungary.
tyatya(old Russian "father") - a volcano on the Kuril island of Iturup.
Mother- city and river, the left tributary of the Vitim River in the Irkutsk region of Russia. By the way, the sources of this river are called Right Mama and Left Mama.
Daughter- a river in Bryansk region, a tributary of the Desna, and a river in the Moscow region.
Woman- a cape in the west of the peninsula of Asia Minor (Turkey). The mountain range in the Hindu Kush system in Afghanistan bears the same name. By the way, "Baba" means "Father" in Arabic.
grandmothers- a village in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine.
Great grandmother- also in Ukraine - a tributary of the Seversky Donets and a village of the same name in the Kharkov region. Babka is a river in the Perm region of Russia and a city in the west of the island of New Guinea.
Dedovsk- a village in the Moscow region.
Sister- rivers in Moscow and Leningrad regions.
Brothers- islands near south coast Republic of Vietnam.
Vnukovo- a village near Moscow.
Muzhi- a village on the Ob River in Siberia and the left tributary of the Tejo River in Portugal.
Qom a river in Turkey. Kuma is a river in the North Caucasus and a city in the Australian state of Victoria.
Cousin- an island in the Seychelles group in the Indian Ocean.
Matchmaker- a river in Eastern Slovakia and Pakistan.
Twins- a village in the Kharkov region of Ukraine.
Stepmother- a village in the Volgograd region.
Relatives- a village in the Kaliningrad region of Russia.
Village Neighbor located in Penza region.
river Guy flows through the Magadan and Kamchatka regions of the Far East.
Village damsel is located in the Voronezh region of Russia.
City Virgo in Western Romania.
A tributary of the Abakan River in the Krasnoyarsk Territory is called She is, and the village on the Rioni River in Georgia is called They are.
In the state of Massachusetts (USA) there is a small lake, the name of which is not easy to pronounce without stopping, because it consists of 42 letters, and in English transcription it is even longer (44 letters). Judge for yourself: Chargoggagogg. Translated from the local Indian language, this abracadabra means: "I will fish on this side, you will fish on the other side, and no one fishes in the middle." Thus, the name of the lake recorded an agreement between two Indian tribes that once lived on its shores.
The long name is associated with one of the villages of the North Island of New Zealand: Thaumatavkakapikimahu(83 letters!). Translated from the local Maori language, it means: "The place where Tamatea, a man with long legs, a famous mountain-eater, who moved mountains, climbed them and swallowed them, played the flute for his beloved."
The longest among Gulliver names is the name of the capital, located in Southeast Asia of the Republic of Thailand - Bangkok. In translation, it sounds like this: “Place of the Wild Plum”, but the full local name has as many as 147 (!) Letters and means: “The great city of angels, the highest container of divine treasures, the great land that cannot be conquered, the great and prosperous kingdom, magnificent and the wonderful capital of the nine gems, the place where the greatest rulers live and the great palace is located, the home of the gods, capable of reincarnating into spirits. " It is this geographical name that is registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest in the world.
River Volga, except for the well-known, flows in the state of Iowa (USA). The right tributary of the Mississippi has the same name. The city of the same name is located on the banks of the American Volga.
River Don flows in Scotland, in the north of the island of Great Britain, and the well-known tributary of the Volga Oka has a "namesake" - a large tributary of the Angara in Eastern Siberia.
City Moscow located in Vyatka region Russia.
In Russia, you can get from Berlin in Paris without leaving the territory of the Chelyabinsk region. There are also Leipzig, Varna and other cities. All these, as a rule, small towns, got their names in honor of the outstanding victories of the Russian army in the Patriotic War of 1812.
There are railway stations in the Odessa region of Ukraine Borodino, Leipzig, Paris and others. Village Paris located in the Krasnokutsky district of the Kharkov region.
There is a village with a loud name in the Fergana region of Uzbekistan Baghdad, in the Aktobe region of Kazakhstan - railroad station Cairo, in Moldova - a railway station - Sofia, in Latvia and the Yekaterinburg region of Russia - small towns Nice, in Novosibirsk region- village Shanghai, in the Oryol region - a village Panama, in Irkutsk - railway station Malta.
Nile- a settlement in the Amur region of Russia, Chad- railway station in the Perm region, Sahara- a river in Yakutia, Africa- a cape on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Victoria- a village in the Aktobe region of Kazakhstan.
bay america- on the Far East, Danube Islands- at the mouth of the great Siberian river Lena, village of Eldorado- on the middle Yenisei, Lake China- in the Odessa region of Ukraine.
On the railway Perm - Nizhny Tagil there is Eurasia station(on the border of Europe and Asia).
An interesting road sign is located in the vicinity of the American city of Lynchula (Maine). He points out that from here to Peru- 90, to Poland - 50, Denmark - 35, Norway- 25 km. All these settlements are located in this state and are not countries.
The states of Indiana, Minnesota, and North Dakota have townships Russia, Belarus and Kyiv. They were founded over 100 years ago by the natives of these areas, who moved to America in search of a happy life.
In the California desert substation Siberia. It must be admitted that the authors of this title were humorists. After all, the hottest place in the entire Western Hemisphere is located nearby.
In the south of Brazil is America city.
In the USA there are cities like London, Boston, Newcastle, Cambridge, Oxford, Baltimore, Bristol, Greenwich and many others whose "parents" are in Europe.
Geographical names came from France to the Americas Orleans, Nancy, Toulon, Lyon, a Paris occurs more than ten times.
Occurs seven times on the US map Moscow and repeatedly numerous towns under the names Petersburg, Rome, Cairo, Athens, Odessa and others.
From Spain to Latin America "moved" such geographical names how Barcelona, Valencia, Venice, Granada, Cordova, Seville and others.
In Ukraine, in the Chernivtsi region, there is the village of Mamaliga, and in Poltava - Pie.
Cockroach- the name of a small island and the city of the same name eastern shores Indonesian island of Kalimantan.
Gang- one of the seas washing the shores of the islands of Sulawesa, New Guinea and Timor.
An island with an attractive name Paradise can be seen off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam.
In the Gulf of Thailand in the west of the island of New Guinea rises mountain house.
Sombrero- this is the name of the strait in the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean.
Rivers Dream and barrack flow in India.
City Furnace located in Hungary Cabinet- in Sweden, and cities with no less strange, in our opinion, name Salo located in Finland and Northern Italy.
In Italy there are towns Bank, Fortune and Mirage.
Madonna is a city in Latvia.
City of Duma located in Syria.
Village Game- in Udmurtia.
give- in Romania.
River Moy takes place in Ireland poppy islet located in the Hebrides group off the coast of Great Britain.
Kucha city located in Western China, Tank- in Pakistan, Tea and chan- in Turkey, Limon city- in Guatemala.
Topic- a seaport in the African Republic of Ghana.
Maritime name Squid assigned to land French city in Alsace.
On a geographical map Russian Federation you will see nearby summer and Winter coast and city Winter in Eastern Siberia.
Stump- a village in the Novosibirsk region, marvel- in Smolensk, Baklushi and Turks- in Saratov, Kalach- in Volgograd, Boot- in Ryazan, Wand- in Tomsk, Bottom- in Pskovskaya, Mud- in Lipetsk, Hat- in Leningradskaya, Wasp- in the Perm regions, Baris- a river in the Ulyanovsk region.
In Ukraine - Paradise in Ternopil region, Bar- in Vinnitsa, platypus, Partying, Benefit- in Odessa, Wise heads- in Khmelnitsky, Good afternoon- in Chernihiv, Buyan, Bucha and leather jacket- in Kievskaya, Money- in Cherkasy, Happiness- in the Luhansk regions.
Stomach can be found in the Grodno region of Belarus.
Note flows in Murmansk, Dark in Tverskaya Pair in Ryazan Leather in Arkhangelsk and even Shish- the right tributary of the Irtysh - in the Omsk regions.
Settlements are located in the Gomel region of Belarus Mars, Venus and even Capricorn. Villages with the name Mars we find in the Sharansky district of the Nizhnenovgorod region of Russia and the Novoaydarsky district of the Luhansk region of Ukraine.
cape The end of the world located on the extreme east island Kuril ridge Shikotan.
Half- this is the name of the village in the Irkutsk region of Russia, halfway between Moscow and Vladivostok.
In the Far East, on the railway Moscow - Vladivostok, one of the cities is called by name and patronymic - Erofei Pavlovich.
Some geographical names seem to reflect the shape of objects. So, for example, in Siberia, in the Eastern Sayan there are Mount Pyramid, in the Northern Arctic Ocean - Straits of Yugorsky and Matochkin Shary, in the Sea of Okhotsk - cone island, and in the east, on the Lysyansky Peninsula, there are Cape Duga Western. River Curve flows in the Republic of Macedonia and in Serbia.
There are also names on the geographical map that consist of only vowels. it Wye- river in England, cities Aue(Germany), Aya("Holy" in Greece), an island Eui in the Tonga archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, the village ii- in Australia, the island eiao in the Marquesas group.
But there are also names consisting of only consonants, for example, the Croatian island Krk in the Adriatic sea and mountain Smrk(1204 m) in the Czech Republic.
There are geographical names that begin with the letter "Y", for example, rivers Yhne in Estonia, Yrgaity in Kyrgyzstan, Yngata in Yakutia (Right tributary of the Vilyui), as well as settlements Ynding in the Komi Republic uijou in the North and eunseong in South Korea.
Purely Russian geographical names can be found on the world map. settlements God, Vershok, Morning- in France, Dream- in Spain, Moan- in England, favorite- in Germany, Rich- in Hungary, Plan- an island off the coast of the Republic of Tunisia in Africa.
based on the book "Entertaining Geography"
And last summer I discovered this in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
and couldn't get past.
How many islands are there in the world? Large and not very large, from rich in diverse flora and fauna to rocks covered only with algae, abandoned and those where civilization is rapidly developing. We offer you a selection of the most unusual, interesting and sometimes even creepy land areas surrounded by water.
1. Palm trees, Dubai
It's no surprise that these stunning man-made islands are located in Dubai, a city whose bounty even has an indoor ski slope and a 160-story skyscraper. One of the Palms - Jumeirah, commissioned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, has 16 branches 1 km long each, surrounded by a circular barrier 11 km long. The length of the main part of the island is 5 km, and the total area is 31 km².
The Palm Jumeirah is just one of four projects artificial islands developed in Dubai: the Palm Jebel Ali is almost ready, more than twice the area of the Palm Jumeirah, but the largest of the Palm Islands will be the Palm Deira, the construction of which began in 2004. And the fourth project, called "Peace", is a group of 300 islands located in the form of continents, but, unfortunately, due to the financial crisis of 2008, Dubai froze construction and questioned the feasibility of this project.
2. Island of the Dolls, Mexico
Anyone who has seen at least one of the Chucky doll movies will agree that dolls can be very creepy. Especially when they hang on trees, covered with cobwebs and insects crawling out of empty eye sockets - this is exactly what awaits you if you come to the Island of the Dolls, located in one of the districts federal district Mexico City.
The origin of this creepy place is bizarre, like a script by Tim Burton or M. Night Shyamalan: a man named Don Julio came to the island after tragic death of his entire family, and once heard nearby the screams of a girl drowning in a nearby canal - he pulled her out of the water, but, despite desperate attempts to help, the girl died. Since then, Don Julio heard her voice every night and, in order to protect himself from the spirit, began to hang dolls on trees - this is how he became a local landmark, and people began to bring dolls to him to add to the "collection". Don Julio died in 2005 at the age of 86, and at that time his terrible "collection" of dolls and their parts consisted of thousands of items.
3. Socotra, Yemen
Rising up in the Indian Ocean off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, Yemen's Socotra Island is as unusual as its surroundings are dangerous. The climate of the island is very arid, and the unique flora and fauna are the result of its isolation, which arose as a result of separation from the mainland 250 million years ago.
If not for its location in one of the world's most volatile regions, the 3,625 km² island, dubbed the "Galapagos of the East," would be an ideal destination for eco-tourists from all over the world. However, until nearby countries become friendlier to foreigners, Socotra's 44,000 inhabitants will be forced to live in isolation.
4. Fort Boyard, France
What could be more unusual than a 200-year-old bathtub-like fortress used for filming a popular TV show? We are talking about Fort Boyard, located near west coast France.
The construction of the fortress was conceived as part of the build-up of the military potential of France in the 60s of the 16th century during the reign of Louis XIV, but work continued until 1809, periodically stopped due to attacks by the British: in order to build the foundation, the workers had to lay on the sandy bottom of shallow water 75 thousand m 3 of stones.
Almost 30 years later, by order of Louis Philippe, the fortress began to be rebuilt - the construction was completed only in 1857: the final version of the fortress-island was an oval 32 meters wide and 20 meters high, which could accommodate 250 soldiers and 74 guns.
When the builders laid the last brick, Fort Boyard had already lost its military significance due to the progress of weapons technology, and since then the fortress has been used only as a military prison, and later - as a background in movies and TV shows, but recently the adventure game show of the same name is filmed here. .
5. Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca, Peru
These are not islands, in the geographical sense, but one of the most interesting sights of Peru: the local Uru tribe, living on a chain of about 60 floating islands near largest city on Lake Titicaca Puno, calls them Islas Flotantes (actually, "Floating Islands").
In fact, the islands are mats woven from totora reed, the size of which reaches half football field: the thickness of the mats is from three to four m, they are connected with each other and with the bottom of the lake by long ropes.
It is not very clear when and why the Uru tribe settled on the lake, but anthropologists believe that in the pre-Columbian period they migrated from the shores of the Amazon and from what is now called Southern Peru. Due to wars with neighboring tribes and failure to find lands where they could settle, the Uru decided to build floating cities right on the cold waters of the lake, where they remained isolated for centuries. The reputation of the "wild and primitive" tribe kept them from the invasion of the Incas and Spaniards; I must say that the local Aymara tribe living on the shores of the lake still considers them savages.
6. Madagascar
Madagascar is the fourth largest island on Earth, this poor country is a former French colony that survived a devastating coup in 2009, and one of the most wonderful places on our planet. Since separating from Africa (165 million years ago), its plants and animals have evolved independently of their continental relatives, resulting in an amazing distribution of species: approximately 90% of the island's flora and fauna are found nowhere else.
Before the coup, thousands of eco-tourists came to Madagascar to see its extraordinary beauty, but, unfortunately, political upheaval and poverty of the local residents caused wild nature Madagascar has suffered significant damage due to illegal logging: colorful chameleons, fluffy lemurs and valuable mahogany are very popular on the international black market. Natural resource advocates hope that when life in the country stabilizes, it will be possible to protect National parks from poachers and lumberjacks.
7. Alcatraz, USA
Few islands in the United States are as infamous as Alcatraz, a small rock in the middle of San Francisco Bay with an outpost on it. The Spanish explorer of California, Lieutenant Juan Manuel de Ayala, first discovered the island in 1775 and named it Isla de los Alcatrazes (Pelican Island) because huge amount seabirds nesting on the island. The solid rock stood untouched until 1853, when the United States Army built a fortress here to defend San Francisco Bay, sometimes also used as a prison. Then, in 1934, the army transferred it to the statement Federal Bureau A prison that turned the fortress into one of the most famous correctional institutions in the history of the country: Alcatraz was visited by many brutal killers and famous criminals, including Al Capone and Mickey Cohen, and in 1963 the prison on the island ceased to exist.
The event that gave Alcatraz its place in American culture was the capture of the island by the Indians, who did not leave it from November 20, 1969 until June 11, 1971. This was the third and last action of political activists who claimed their rights to the island and demanded a solution to the problems of the indigenous population of America. The last of the protesters were forcibly removed from the island in 1971, but their efforts played a key role in ending the United States policy of assimilation of Indians into American society.
8. Hashima, Japan
Hashima Island, located about 15 km southwest of Nagasaki, can be considered extraordinary without even visiting it: previously declared the most densely populated area in the world, with a population density of 5259 people per km2, this mining island in the East The China Sea is now completely abandoned.
The Japanese began to develop Hasima when coal deposits were discovered in the rocks of the island: the Fukahori family built the first mine, which was then, in 1887, sold to the Mitsubishi Corporation for 100,000 yen. By 1959, the population of Hashima peaked, but in the 60s the island began to decline when oil replaced coal as Japan's main energy resource, but coal mines on the island lasted until April 20, 1974.
Though the island has since been uninhabited and Mitsubishi has phased out its program, the empty buildings remain a mute testament to the island's former heyday.
9. Poveglia, Italy
The island of Poveglia is said to be one of the most haunted places on Earth, and knowing its history, it's easy to see why. Located in the southern part of the Venetian lagoon between Venice and the Lido island, Poveglia began to be settled as early as 421 by people fleeing the mainland from the invaders, and in 1348 the inhabitants left the island, fleeing the Bubonic plague raging in Venice.
Like other small uninhabited islands, Poveglia was used to isolate the victims of the disease, many of whom, after death, were burned there on huge bonfires. The gloomy past covered the island with legends and the hostility of the townspeople, which Napoleon skillfully used at the beginning of the 19th century, hiding gunpowder and weapons on the island.
Poveglia became an even more eerie place when, at the end of the 19th century, it became a refuge for mentally ill people: legend has it that one of the doctors of the hospital in the 30s of the 20th century performed strange experiments on patients, the result of which was his jump from the bell tower at the hospital . The last institution located in the old building of the island hospital was a private sanatorium, but it also closed in 1975 - since then people have left the island, but there are rumors that sometimes the bell tower is still heard, although there have been no bells for several dozen years.
10. Easter Island
Giant stone statues up to three stories high could not carve themselves out of stone or come to the island from somewhere. How did the natives of Easter Island, whose tools were stones, corals and bones, be able to perform such a grandiose work? This question has occupied the world since the Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeveen landed on the island on Easter Day, April 5, 1772.
The 16th century was the time of the highest prosperity of the island, around that time monumental structures were erected that made it famous all over the world. The ancient builders called these statues "moai", and their stone pedestals were called "ahu": they are carved from stones mined in the Rano Raraku volcanic crater on the eastern side of the island, on average each statue reaches 4 m in height and weighs about 14 -ty t.
In total, 887 moai are located on Easter Island, of which 397 remained in the crater, 92 fell during transportation from the quarry, and only 288 statues successfully reached their ahu. There are many speculations about how the ancient stonemasons delivered the moai to their destination: on a sled, rolling on logs, or even with the help of aliens, but the exact transport technique is still unknown.
World of travel
2510
08.05.16 12:22
Hawaii, Maldives, Caribbean - they are full of resorts, beaches, exotic fruits. But how trite it is! golden sand, sunshine all year round, turquoise waves - who will you surprise with this? We will remember others - the most unusual islands in the world. Some of them are uniquely beautiful, others are mysterious, others are dangerous.
giant ghost
Hasima (or Hashima) is an island in Japan, not far from Nagasaki. Before World War II and during it, coal was mined here - thousands of Japanese and forced miners from China and Korea. When the country switched to oil as the main source of fuel, the island became empty. Several massive concrete buildings remain on it, giving Hashima the appearance of an abandoned battleship. It is also called a ghost island.
Like in a horror movie
One of the most unusual and terrifying islands belongs to Mexico. It is filled with dolls hanging from trees. Therefore, this place is called the Island of the Dolls. Belief says that Don Julian, who lost his family, heard screams - a woman was drowning in one of the many local canals. He did not have time to save the stranger, but in nightmares he continued to hear her voice. To drive away the annoying spirit, Julian began to string dolls on branches, his example was picked up by others. So the island became a legend, and then a creepy tourist attraction.
Tom Hanks spent his "exile" here
There are many pretty uninhabited islands in the world, what made the small island of Monuriki, belonging to Fiji, famous for? It's just that the shooting of Zemeckis's adventure blockbuster "Outcast" took place here. It was on this tiny patch that the hero of Tom Hanks talked to his ball. The island is very popular with tourists.
From a special cane
The floating islands of Lake Titicaca in Peru are something special! They are artificial, woven from dry totora reeds by the local Uros tribe. First, a lot of rugs are made, then the mats are attached to each other with ropes. If earlier the representatives of the tribe lived off fishing, now they are rescued by tourists. When you walk on such a reed island, it seems that you are just swinging on a wave and are about to go to the bottom, but in fact the “carpet” is very durable.
inhospitable land
North Watch Island is one of the most isolated and most unusual islands on Earth. It is located in the Bay of Bengal, 32 km from Smith Island. Dozorny is 72 square kilometers, almost completely covered with forests (with the exception of thin coastal strips). Local residents do not want to contact anyone, they are very xenophobic and oppose any outside interference. If you approach the island by boat or helicopter, you will be attacked by a hail of arrows. Very little is known about the culture and language of this people. By the way, one of the heroes of Conan Doyle's story "The Sign of Four", a savage who shoots excellently from a pipe, was just from here.
Unearthly landscape of Socotra
The most beautiful and exotic island of our rating is rightfully the Socotra archipelago, which belongs to Yemen. The local flora and fauna are mostly endemic, you will not find amazing dragon trees anywhere else, and the “bellied” bottle trees are so funny! Add to this a strange kind of birds and an absolutely fantastic landscape. No wonder Socotra is compared with something alien, it seems that some eccentric artist fantasized her.
Uninhabited rock reserves
The island of Navassa is fought over by Haiti and the United States, which annexed it to their territories in 1857. All coastline Navasses are solid steep cliffs, so it is impossible to moor a boat to the island. In addition, this is a natural reserve, and you can get there only with special permission. The uninhabited island is only 48 km from Haiti, and 145 km from the Guantanamo Strait.
Howland Island is located in the Pacific Ocean north of the equator. It belongs to the USA, and once guano (litter of seabirds) was mined here in large quantities. Now it is uninhabited and is a natural reserve. During World War II, Howland was attacked by Japanese bombers - the day after the tragedy of Pearl Harbor. The island holds the secret of the disappearance of pilot Amelia Earhart without a trace. She was supposed to land here during a continental flight, but did not reach the island - her plane could have crashed into the ocean or crashed on the coastal rocks.
In the realm of the Snow Queen
The northernmost airport and the northernmost church in the world, as well as one of the northernmost settlements in the Land of Longyearbyen, are located in the Svalbard archipelago, which belongs to Norway. Here you should be wary of the attack of polar bears, so travelers usually carry a rifle with them. It is on this island that a huge seed storage is organized - to preserve biodiversity in the event of a large-scale natural disaster.
The island of volcanic origin Bouvet is located at a distance of 2500 km southwest of South Africa. It is small (49 sq. km) and almost completely covered with a thick crust of ice, and the shores are solid sharp sheer cliffs. Bouvet was a British territory, and then the country's authorities transferred it to Norway. nature reserve, Bouvet has never been inhabited. Why did he get into our ranking of the most unusual islands in the world? Because it is considered the most remote on the planet. The nearest land (Queen Maud Land in Antarctica) is 1750 km from here.
