Modern technologies have allowed us to begin exploration of the Moon and Mars. But this does not mean that the world no longer exists places that could be investigated. In fact, on the globe and today quite a few areas that remain for one reason or another poorly understood. Roads where there is little, but only a direction. Go on a virtual tour around such places.
Namibia
Namibia is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world (in an area of 824 thousand. Square kilometers inhabited by only 2.3 million people). It is located in the south of the African continent and got its name from the Namib Desert, which is home to a quarter of the cheetahs in the world (there are about 2500). Wasteland known giant dunes, ancient rock paintings, impact craters and waterfalls, and the landscape of Namibia is one of the most pristine in Africa. This place is an ideal haven for poachers, so in the Constitution spelled out the program for the protection of the unique natural reserve, including many thousands of kilometers of unexplored desert (including the famous Kalahari).
The Greenland ice sheet
Greenland has the second largest ice sheet the world (after the Antarctic), and the island is used as a testing ground for fundamental studies of glaciers: glaciologists are studying the dynamics of the glacier, microbiologists - ancient life, untroubled by the ice. However, the most significant aspect of the study remains paleoclimatic aspects of research, as the ice has air pockets that can give information about the atmosphere of the past. Total Greenland drilled six deep wells, and most scantily place - this is the Northern Territory of Greenland, Lincoln Sea and other surrounding arctic water. They have ever visited here a limited number of vehicles, among them our nuclear-powered icebreakers. But all this ice desert gradually melts, and at current rates of shield disappears after 2000 years.
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha - an archipelago of four islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena. Along with Easter Island and Pitcairn Island is one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth. To the nearest coast of the mainland - that is, until South Africa - 2816 miles to sail, and to South America - as much as 3360 km. On the islands there are no mammals (except the seals on the beach and introduced by people mice), reptiles, butterflies, but a number of endemic plants. The main property of the island - the smallest flightless bird in the world - "the shepherd of the island impregnable" or "tristansky shepherd." According to the 2008 census, the population of the largest island of Tristan da Cunha are 264 people. The other three islands - Gough, Inaccessible and Nightingale are reserves.
Mariana Trench
Almost all of the bottom of the oceans can be called the most poorly known space on our planet. However, the most mysterious point known - is the oceanic deep trough in the western Pacific. Named for depression located near the Mariana Islands, and its deepest point "Abyss Challenger" in the south-western part. Measuring 2011 its depth is 10 994 ± 40 m below sea level. This place was visited by only 3 people: Jacques Picard and Donald Walsch on bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960 and James Cameron in the submersible Deepsea Challenger in 2012. The pressure at a depth of 1 106 times higher than the pressure at sea level, but at the bottom of "Abyss Challenger" was discovered 20 thousand microorganisms. Among the fauna were collected isopods and amphipods krevetkoobraznyh six species. Further study of depression, according to scientists, can tell us more about the adaptation of organisms to high pressure and maybe even solve the mystery of the origin of life.
Antarctica
Continent Antarctica, covered with a thick layer of ice - is also one of the most neglected parts of our planet. Research prevents the harsh climate, but in the future, warming her development is possible. In Antarctica and the surrounding islands, there are many abandoned settlements, military bases and whaling. Currently in Antarctica has no permanent population, but located about 45 year-round research stations, which, depending on the season live from one thousand people in the winter and up to 4 thousand people in summer. The study of the ice sheet, in which the "written" data on climate and atmospheric composition for hundreds of thousands of years, sheds light on the past and future of the Earth. Most poorly studied portion of the mainland adjacent to the sea Weddell (West Antarctica). Recently revealed that there is hidden pool size of a small European country (an area of about 20,000 square kilometers), and its depth in some places up to two kilometers.
Gangkhar Puensum
Gangkhar Puensum - the highest of the unconquered tops the world. Is a mountain in the disputed territory between Bhutan and China and reaches a height of 7570 meters. The mountain was first described in 1922, but her first attempts at conquest began only after 1983, when Bhutan was allowed climbing. In 1985 and 1986, were made four unsuccessful attempts, but in 1994 Bhutan banned again climbing the mountains higher than 6,000 meters, out of respect to the local belief, and in 2003, climbing was completely forbidden. Japanese expedition in 1998 decided to climb to the summit with the Chinese side, but in the end could only climbers to climb the neighboring Liankang Kangri.
Rain forests of the Amazon
With each passing day the forest area of the Amazon drastically reduced. But, despite the deforestation here yet remained untouched land where no man has gone before, and the flora and fauna are preserved in their original form. In the Amazon, and today there are tribes, untouched by modern civilization. Rainforests are located on a vast plain, covering almost the entire Amazon basin. This jungle is half of the remaining tropical forests in the world. Explore their difficult primarily due to the dense undergrowth and many dangerous animals. It is home to jaguars, caimans, anacondas, poisonous spiders, parasites and vectors of infectious diseases, and in the local rivers are home to stingrays, piranhas and Kaner.
Northern Andes
It's hard to tell how well researched the northern region of the Colombian Andes, because the guerrillas and drug lords do not keep official records. This area is known for the fact that there are hidden criminals of all kinds. After uncharted mountain ranges covered with forests and mist-shrouded, are suitable for this best. Most of the civilians in the surrounding areas - the local tribes. Every time in the northern mountains of Colombia sent a scientific expedition, she finds a previously unknown plants and animals. In 2006, he discovered a new species of birds yarigskaya atlapeta, and in 2010 he discovered a new subspecies of birds Lachrymose Mountain-Tanager.
Jungles of New Guinea
New Guinea - the last of the little-known large islands. There are more than thousands of different ethnic groups and hundreds of different tribes, some of which are completely isolated from the influence of the modern world. On the slopes of Foggia in the western part of New Guinea in 2005, a group of American researchers has discovered a place called them "the Garden of Eden." The territory of about 300 thousand hectares was isolated from the effects of the world, and there was discovered more than 20 previously unknown species of frogs, several species of butterflies, tree-kangaroos, shestipёrye "paradise" birds (previously thought to be extinct), and unknown to science types of palm trees and a variety of other plants.However, many animals are not afraid of humans and even allow scientists to take himself in hand.
Northeastern Siberia
North-Eastern part of Siberia, located to the north-east of the Lena River, known for harsh environment and climate. Winters are long, with the bitter cold and the summers are very, very cool. It is here that is "cold pole" - Oymyakon. North-Eastern Siberia has a complex topography of folded-block areas and ridges. Also located on site is common permafrost. Agriculture in the region in the open field is impossible, and development of natural resources is difficult because of the climatic conditions, remote areas, lack of a wide network of transport routes (especially railways). This area is the most sparsely populated part of Eurasia, and most of the human presence here is related to the constant search for minerals.
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