In all the continents of the planet there are places mysterious, inaccessible or prohibited. The reasons can be many: environmental or climatic issues, high risk for personal safety, respect for places of worship, historical and artistic protection, safeguarding of local communities, military restrictions … but the more a place will be considered secret, or forbidden, the greater the call it exercises on the curious around the world!
The 5 most famous prohibited places in the world
1. The area 51
Place: Area 51 (Nevada, USA)
Reason for the prohibition: military secrecy
Let’s start with the most classic of the classics: theArea 51. It is a gigantic basis military US localized in desert of the State of Nevada, about 150 kilometers from the famous Las Vegas, whose existence was officially recognized by the American government only in 2013. The base is an extensive site for the development and testing of Experimental military technologies In the aeronautical sector and, probably, it is precisely because of this function that over the decades are proliferated the most disparate conspiracy theories. From the development of futuristic weapons of mass destruction to the concealment of aliens, UFO And other terrifying mysteries from deep space, area 51 has become the forbidden place par excellence. Novels, films, video games and memes from the web have transformed the base into a symbol of pop culture and contributed further to its fame as a dark and mysterious place.
The area is completely banned to the public and supervised by advanced security systems, with numerous and threatening warnings on the fate (fine and arrest) of anyone who tries to go beyond the perimeter if not authorized, both by land and in flight.
2. The island of Queimada Grande
Place: Island of Queimada Grande (Brazil)
Reason for the prohibition: biological risk
THE’Queimada Grande Island It is a small island of about 0.43 square kilometers Not far from the city of Peruíbe, on the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Also known as theSnake islandis considered one of the most dangerous places in the world because of its inhabitants: in fact, there is a very high concentration of poisonous snakesamong which we also find the Bothrops Insularisa crotal belonging to the vipers family whose specimens live exclusively on this small island.
The high risk for people represented by the ecosystem of the island of Queimada Grande who, in fact, is dominated by reptiles and does not host any kind of mammals, has led the Brazilian government to strongly limit the access to the island, allowed only to researchers, after issuing a special authorization and only if accompanied by medical personnel.
3. The Monte Kailsh
Place: Mount Kailash (China, Tibet’s autonomous region)
Reason for the prohibition: respect for religious traditions
With his 6,638 meters above sea levelThe Monte Kailash It seems to emerge from a surrealist canvas, arousing even among the most imperturbable mysticism. In fact, an imposing conical summit rises almost with arrogance between the surrounding reliefs of the Himalayana chainin the western regions of China and Tibet, close to the Indian border.
The mountain is considered a place sacred both from Hindus both from Buddhistswhich recalls a large number of tourists and pilgrims for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatraa pilgrimage of tens of kilometers and 5,000 meters above sea level around the majestic importance.
However, although organized pilgrimages are tolerated by the Chinese government, any mountaineering or hiking activity on Mount Kailsh is severely prohibited in compliance with religious traditions.
4. Černobyl
Place Černobyl ‘(Ukraine)
Reason for the prohibition: radiation and environmental risk; theater of war
On April 26, 1986 one of the reactors of the nuclear power plant of Černobyl ‘today in Ukraine, I exploded during a security test due to a defective design and the presence of non -trained staff adequately. The accident, one of the most serious environmental disasters in historyfreed one cloud radioactive which extended throughout Eastern, northern and central-southern Europe.
To try to contain the damage of radiation contamination, the Soviet authority evacuated the whole population within 30 kilometers from the control unit (an order also extended to much more distant inhabited centers), thus establishing the alienation areathat is, a large territory banned to human activities.
Over time, the alienation area has turned into aresearch area In which, until a few years ago, access was strictly regulated but in any case allowed for scientific research, technical analysis and even for some forms of organized tourism. Today, however, due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, many of these activities have been strongly reduced, and both tourism and access to civilians are severely prohibited.
5. Island of North Sentinel
Place North Sentinel Island (Gulf of Bengala, India)
Reason for the prohibition: protection of the rights of indigenous peoples; risk for personal safety
Fully Gulf of Bengal (India), the island of North Sentinel It represents a truly unique case of “forbidden place”. The ban on access, in fact, is not attributable to the physical or natural characteristics of the place, but rather in the presence of one of the Most isolated peoples of the earth: i Sentinellese.
The Sentinellese are among the latest native populations of the entire planet completely excluded from any dynamics of the modern world: for millennia have been living in hunting, fishing and harvesting, without electricity or technologies of any kindand with a lifestyle similar to that of our Paleolithic ancestors.
Given the natural isolation and the prohibitions of the Indian government, the accidental contacts with the rest of the world are almost null and the few approach attempts have almost always ended dramatic with the aggression and even the killing of visitors. Two fishermen were assassinated in 2006 and an American missionary died in 2018 after trying to convert the population of the island to Christianity.
The Indian Regulation provides for the ban on approaching the island of North Sentinel by 5 nautical milestherefore we talk about just over a radius of 9 kilometers. The reason for the ban is twofold: the first, more obvious, is for the protection of the potential visitors of the island, which could be the victim of the violent reactions of the local population; The second is instead for the protection of the Sentinellese themselves, who, given the very long insulation, they do not have a suitable immune system To counteract infections from the outside world, and even the slightest contact with non -native people of the island could originate one very serious health crisis.
