Top 10 Most Dangerous Places on Earth
In keeping with this site’s love of helping out with holiday
plans, this is a list on the top 10 most dangerous places in the world –
these are all places you might consider not visiting when planning your
next holiday. Some of the items may be a little controversial, but you
are, of course, free to ignore our advice and go anyway!
In this crime-ridden, ex-Soviet state, no longer does the government
stuff their Armani suits with rubles, but the vandals and gangsters. The
Russian mafia runs amuck, there are more gangsters than police, and a
Russian is assassinated every 18 minutes, averaging 84 murders per day
in a nation of 143 million. The nucleus of Russian crime is stationed in
the Republic of Chechnya, a region within Russia just north of Georgia.
Prostitution, drug trafficking, and underground restaurants are
arbitrarily controlled by the Chechens. Foreigners are kidnapped more
frequently due to the higher ransom allocated. Crimes towards include
but are not limited to: pick pocketing wallets, cell phones, cameras,
cash, and physical assaults. From superpower to Third World country,
think tanks are beginning to speculate if communism really was the cure
for Russia. [Source]
For anyone traveling to Brazil, it is not a matter of whether you get
mugged, it is a matter of when! Grinding poverty still lives alongside
incredible wealth in a country that is riding a wave of economic growth.
But with prosperity, rates of crime have also soared. Street crime is
rampant in parts of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, and whilst many
victims are left unharmed, having a broken bottle put to your throat for
your bracelet is not pleasant. The incidences of “quicknappings” has
risen in major cities. This involves being abducted and taken to an ATM
to pay your ransom. If you can’t pay, thanks to mobile technology, your
family is only a call away. Along with street crime, organized criminal
groups have waged wars against police and public institutions that were
unable to be bribed. Prison riots are brutally suppressed, drugs and
narco-terrorism claim civilian casualties and if you survive all that –
the piranhas are waiting.
Any nation described as the ‘rape capital of the world’ should be one
to take extra special care in. Although rape had shown a declining
trend to 113.7 in 2004, it increased in 2005 to 118.3 per 100 000.
Another damning statistic for South Africa is its appallingly high
murder rate. The 2010 World Cup host is consistently in the Top 5 list
of countries by homicide rate. Most crime is confined to poor areas but
it hasn’t stopped gated communities springing up all over South Africa
and armed guards protecting wealthy tourist groups. Farming in South
Africa has become one of the most dangerous professions in the world.
The murder rate for farmers is 313 per 100 000 – about 8 times the
national average. And like anywhere, sex can be very dangerous in South
Africa, where more than 10 million people are infected with HIV.
This small, densely populated and poor nation has giant problems. A
civil war between Hutus and Tutsis tore the nation apart between 1993
and 2006. A ceasefire was declared however most provisions have not been
implemented. Mass murder and mayhem compete with environmental problems
as the biggest headaches for the people of Burundi. The list of
assassinated leaders is extensive, and control of the nation has changed
hands numerous times in the last 50 years. Crimes committed by roaming
gangs and armed children are risks for visitors. Muggings, carjackings
and kidnappings await, so you are advised not to stop the car for
souvenirs. Should you be injured or harmed while in Burundi, you may
need to be well trained, as local clinics have almost no resources to
assist you.
While murder, rape and robbery may not be a big problem in this part
of the world, the hostile conditions are. Antarctica is home to some
extreme weather conditions, with the mercury regularly dropping below
-60 degrees Celsius (-100F) and winds tearing in at more than 100km/hr.
If exposed to this weather for more than an hour, you will most
certainly die. Antarctica has no hospitals, no food to forage and if you
get lost, not a lot of hope. Stay with the tour groups. At least there
is a McDonald’s at Scott Base if you manage to find it.
This nation has for hundreds of years, been one of the worlds most
strategically important and lusted after territories. However it remains
one of the poorest, undeveloped and unstable. During the Soviet
invasion, the Red Army planted more than 12 million landmines in
Afghanistan. Hundreds of people are killed, shredded, and maimed each
year due to these insidious devices. Following the Soviets came the
Taliban, whose control meant women were banned from jobs and
universities. In 2001, the United States overthrew the Taliban, but
banditry, tribal rivalries and drug related violence has left the nation
unstable. Suicide bombings are a constant threat, and nobody in
Afghanistan is safe. The most lethal suicide attack occurred in Baghlan
Province in November 2007, killing more than 70 people. Did I mention
Afghanistan is also the worlds largest supplier of top grade hashish and
opium?
4.
Somalia
Somalia is a failed state known for its anarchy, corruption, lack of
government, and starvation. Travelers are warned against entering
Somalia, the self-proclaimed “independent Republic of Somaliland” or
even sailing near the Horn Of Africa. Pirates patrol these waters armed
with AK-47s and will seize craft and hold crews to ransom. Inter-clan
fighting has claimed thousands of lives in the north of the country,
while territorial control in the capital, Mogadishu is carved up between
many clans and warlords. Ethiopia attacked Islamic troops in Somalia in
late 2006, resulting in hundreds of casualties and the internal
displacement of thousands. Heck, if this place is too much for the
Marines, what chance do you stand? Make sure your insurance is fully up
to date.
Desperation, death and destruction are synonymous with Sudan.
Terrorism is a mainstay of this nation, which has been controlled by
Islamic military regimes since its independence. Some of the worlds most
famous killers have earned their stripes in Sudan, finishing with
degrees in car-bombing, rocket launching and genocide. Violence is rife
in the Darfur region between government-backed militias, government
troops and local insurgent groups. Sudan has been in open warfare with
Chad partly due to the Darfur conflict. Since 2003, 230,000 Sudanese
refugees have fled to eastern Chad from Darfur. More than two million
have died during the 2 civil wars that spanned the last 50 years. Along
with its bleak desert conditions, Sudan is one of the worst places on
the planet.
Kidnapping is the main worry in Colombia. There were 2338 kidnappings
in Colombia in 1998. Of the victims, 138 were killed by their captors.
Ranked Fourth in the world for murders with 69.98/100000 in 2006, the
popular targets are mayors, with dozens of them being slain each year.
And of course, who can forget cocaine? Colombia supplies 75% of the
worlds supply and thanks to Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel,
paramilitary groups have waged war on the government in a bloody
conflict with no end in sight. Even those working in the name of charity
are not excluded from the frenzy. In 2005, 5 Catholic missionaries were
murdered, down from 9 in 1999. Colombia’s beautiful coast and rugged
mountains should make it a tourist paradise, instead it is among the
most feared destinations you can visit.
It doesn’t matter whether you are George Bush, Pele or Chuck Norris –
you are not safe in Iraq. Despite its rich history and its oil
reserves, it is a ruined nation that is wracked with violence, despair
and confusion. Since 2003, the United States has occupied Iraq which has
led to a civil war claiming the lives of more than 650 000 civilians.
Al-Qaeda, Sunni insurgents, Shiite security forces, Kurdish rebels,
American soldiers, Turkish troops and criminals are involved in a cycle
of violence that unfortunately, will not abate any time soon. Improvised
Explosive Devices (IEDs), Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) and
mines are a constant threat, as are suicide bombers who have slain
hundreds. Kidnappings and random killings are reported with almost
mind-numbing frequency. Since 2003, 2 million Iraqis have fled to
neighboring countries and another 1.9 million in Iraq remain internally
displaced. Depleted uranium used as armor-piercing rounds will poison
Iraqi civilians and US servicemen for decades. Truly, a hell on earth.
Bonus
United States of America
For the average traveller, the USA is fairly safe, but the numbers do
not lie. There are more than 200 million guns in the USA and more than
50 murders a day, 10 times the rate of Germany. Nearly 5000 people die a
year in truck crashes, about 6000 pedestrains die on the streets and
31000 people end their own lives. The USA now leads all nations in
violent crime and leads all nations with incarcerations now standing at
2.3 million. American citizens also make up the greatest number of
criminals serving time in overseas prisons. Militias, hate groups and
other right wing radicals all spread their message of violence and are
known to throw around the odd pipe-bomb. The government is not much
better, spending a whopping $600 billion a year on defense in order to
contain the handful of nations hostile to it.
Dishonorable Mentions: Haiti, Liberia, and Congo.
Contributor: DentShop
