7 Bizarre Cities that Actually Exist themindguild.com/7-bizarre-cities March 15, 2019
Remember all those crazy bizarre cities that we see on TV and the movie screen? The amazing thing is that many of those kinds of bizarre cities actually exist on our planet. Is this a crazy world or what? If you think that you have seen it all, think again. These places are quite amazing. However, perhaps the most amazing thing about them is how people have managed to live in these places in spite of extraordinary circumstances. Grab yourself a bag of popcorn, sit back, and let us examine each of them now:
Miyake-jima, Japan
1/15
Miyake-jima, Japan is also known as the “Gas Mask Town” as its citizens must wear them continually because of the outrageously high sulfur dioxide levels that are present there. This city is located on a small island that is approximately 100 km south of Tokyo in the Philippine Sea. The volcano Mount Oyama is also located on the island, and is extremely active. This volcanic activity is what contributes to the high level of toxic gases on Miyake Island.
What’s amazing is the fluctuation of toxic gas levels that have been expelled by this volcano. Amazingly, Mount Oyama is been recorded to spit out over 42,000 tons of sulfur dioxide in just one day.
Coober Pedy, South Australia
2/15
I bet you didn’t think that underground cities existed in real life, did you? It just so happens that Coober Pedy, South Australia is a subterranean city. It has been hailed as the “Opal capital of the world” because of its opal mines. The first opal was found there in 1915.
3/15
Since Coober Pedy experiences scorching heat during the daytime, residents began converting the abandoned opal mines into residences. Today, we see not only homes existing underground, but also many stores, hotels, and even churches have followed suit.
Hashima Island, Japan
4/15
Hashima Island is also known as “Battleship Island� because it is physically shaped like a real battleship. It is located about 15 km from Nagasaki, a city in southern Japan and a stark reminder of the country’s rapid industrialization. During its heyday, Hashima Island was a thriving place and considered to be a mecca for undersea coal mining. However, as its coal reserves began depleting and petroleum began replacing coal as a fossil fuel, its citizens began abandoning the island.
5/15
After Hashima Island had been abandoned for over three decades, its dilapidated state caught the attention of those people who value historic sites. Today, it has become a very popular place for tourists of all nationalities.
Manshiyat Naser, Egypt
6/15
Manshiyat Naser is better known as the “Garbage City”. It is basically a slum settlement that exists on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt which is literally covered with garbage. And when we say “literally covered with garbage”, we mean that garbage even exists on the streets and the rooftops of Manshiyat Naser.
7/15
These piles of garbage are the result of the Cairo Metropolitan Area never bothering to establish a workable official garbage collection system – even though it has a population of over 20 million people. Some of the residents have attempted to pick-up the garbage using volunteers, but the task is almost insurmountable.
Yangsi, China
8/15
Located in southwest China is the village of Yangsi. It is often referred to as the “Village of the Dwarf�, and for good reason, as 40% of its residents are indeed dwarfs. As of this writing, the tallest member of this village is 3 foot, 10 inches all, while the shortest member is only 2 foot, 1 inch tall.
9/15
No one has been able to explain why this village has been so afflicted with dwarfism. Many believe it has something to do with the high mercury levels that has been found in the surrounding soil. Others believe the village is simply cursed.
Nimbin, New South Wales
10/15
Nimbin has earned the reputation of being a primary haven of counterculture in all of Australia. It is located in the “Rainbow Region� of North South Wales. Back in the 1970s, Nimbin was inundated by a healthy influx of college students, partiers, hippies, and every brand of misfit imaginable. This movement completely revolutionized and changed the entire culture of the town.
11/15
Authorities often referred to Nimbin as a social experiment of sorts. Others consider it as the drug capital of Australia.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard
12/15
Longyearbyen is a very intriguing and compelling town. There are countless interesting facts about Longyearbyen. For starters, it is the northernmost city or town in the world as it is located just 650 miles from the North Pole. For this reason, it is dark for four months each year and also perpetually light for four months every year.
13/15
Secondly, there are actually more polar bears in the region than there are people. This is why authorities strongly urge residents to carry a rifle when they venture outside of town limits. Perhaps the most fascinating of all facts about this town is their famous doomsday seed vault. Here, they have stored the seed of every known crop on Earth.
14/15
Longyearbyen is initially established as a coal mining town. The mining eventually phased out, but the town is now thriving from scientific research and tourists with a bend for adventure. Edit
15/15