Saturday 9 February 2013

World's Most Unusual Places

Our planet is full of places that offer spectacular views, bizarre topographical features, and a variety of flora & fauna. There are many places on earth which seem odd or unusual in comparison to what we are used to seeing in day-to-day life. Some of the world's most unusual places are described in the paragraphs below.

Most Unusual Places in the World

The most unusual places in the world listed below should have something interesting and bizarre that would interest the readers.





Socotra, Republic of Yemen
This is one of the most unusual places on earth with features that are out of the world. For a moment, one would feel that he has traveled to a different planet. The Dragon Blood Tree is one of the important features of this island. The branches of this plant give it a mushroom-like appearance.


 The desert rose is another plant with a weird appearance. The stem of this plant resembles the legs of an elephant. The Dorstenia gigas is a plant which can even grow in rock; it doesn't necessarily require soil as a medium for growth. All these and other features make Socotra one of the most unusual places on earth.


83-42, Greenland
It is one of the few pieces of land in the northernmost region of the earth. Located in the Arctic ocean, this permanent point of land is also referred to as Schmitt's Island. The unusual or unique thing about 83-42 is that even while the surrounding area is covered with ice, this part of land remains black. The area of 83-42 is 35 m x 15 m; elevation is just 4 m.

Mount Roraima, Venezuela
This mountain has a shape that resembles a hood. Unlike other mountains which taper along the tip, Mount Roraima has a table-top that rises 400 m. Another interesting fact about this place is that here, it rains on a daily basis. The surface of Mount Roraima is formed of sandstone.

Salar de Uyuni
Located in Bolivia, the Salar de Uyuni island is marked by breathtaking landscapes that offer vasts tracts of salt and other interesting features. Salar de Uyuni is known for the largest salt desert in of the world. The area covered by salt is so large that it becomes difficult to find any reference in determining the skyline. There is also a hotel completely made of salt in Salar de Uyuni. The gigantic cacti found on this island is also one of the unique features of this place. All these features make Salar de Uyuni amongst world's most unusual places.


 

The Richat Structure
The Richat Structure is circular, and is located in the Sahara desert near Ouadane, Mauritiana. It has a diameter of approximately 50 km. This place seems unusual since it is the only prominent feature in the surrounding huge desert. The Richat Structure is used as a reference point/landmark by space crews. Years of soil erosion has resulted into the formation of this structure. Earlier it was believed that a meteorite could have created the Richat Structure. However, this theory was ruled out; also the flat floor of this structure doesn't provide any clue about the fall of meteorite.

Ice Hotel, Sweden
This hotel is constructed every year from ice. The village of JukkasjÀrvi near Kiruna in Sweden is where this ice sculpture is created annually. Steel is used in creating the frame for this construction, since a substance that is a portmanteau (blend) of snow and ice forms the binding material for blocks of ice. The sub-freezing temperatures help in retaining this ice structure. Ice taken from Torne river is used in the construction of this hotel. It is therefore, amongst most unusual places to live in the world.

Cancun Underwater Museum
This underwater museum is located near the coast of Cancun, Mexico; it is amongst the important Mexico tourist attractions. Sculptures placed in this museum are created by Jason DeCaires Taylor. A pH neutral concrete material is used in the creation of these artworks. There are 400 sculptures installed in this museum.