10 Most Extreme Places in Africa

Noel Polo TV in English

From lava lakes and scorching deserts to crocodile-filled rivers, Africa’s wildest corners are full of jaw-dropping contrasts. Explore 10 of the continent’s most dangerous places and see how life finds a way to survive.  #Africa #Travel #Nature #Adventure  Subscribe to Noel Polo TV for more incredible journeys. Comment below and tell us what you liked most!  👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@noelpolotv  0:00 - Africa's Extreme Places and Lake Assal 2:24 - The Shipwrecks of Skeleton Coast 3:56 - Virunga's Wildlife and Volcanoes 5:20 - Life in Kibera 6:39 - Lake Natron's Alkaline Waters 8:02 - The Danakil Depression 9:23 - Rivers, Rift Valley, and Namib Desert 13:21 - Makoko and Africa's Harshest Places

Transcript

00:00Africa is the second largest continent in the world.

00:03It is a vast territory full of extreme contrasts,

00:07where some of the most breathtaking wonders of nature can be found.

00:11From volcanoes with flowing lakes of lava deep within the continent,

00:16to deserts so ancient, they seem like they belong to another planet.

00:22But on this vast continent, there are also places where survival becomes extremely difficult,

00:28places where temperatures can soar past 50 degrees Celsius.

00:34There are also seemingly calm lakes concealing waters that can destroy living tissue,

00:40while in other places, the sheer force of nature completely reshapes the landscape,

00:46turning it into a treacherous environment.

00:48Across Africa, you can find active volcanoes, unforgiving deserts,

00:54rivers teeming with predators,

00:57and regions where millions of people live in extraordinarily harsh conditions.

01:02These are the 10 most dangerous places in Africa.

01:05But before we get started, if you are new to our channel,

01:09make sure to hit the subscribe button and turn on the notification bell

01:12so you'll always stay updated on our upcoming videos.

01:17Lake Asal, Djibouti.

01:18In the heart of the small country of Djibouti,

01:21nestled among volcanic landscapes and vast stretches of hardened lava,

01:26lies Lake Asal.

01:28The lake lies approximately 155 meters below sea level.

01:34It is the lowest point in Africa,

01:37and also one of the most saline lakes in the world.

01:41The salt concentration in its water is extremely high,

01:44and it is almost as salty as the Dead Sea.

01:46Its surroundings seem surreal.

01:49The heat is intense for most of the year,

01:52and the temperature easily exceeds 40 degrees Celsius,

01:56making it very difficult to survive in this area.

02:00Around the lake,

02:01vast deposits of white salt can be seen blanketing the ground.

02:06This creates a bright landscape

02:08that stands out strikingly against the dark mountains

02:12and volcanic rocks surrounding the lake.

02:15Despite the extreme conditions,

02:18Lake Asal has been an important source of salt

02:21for local communities for centuries.

02:25Skeleton Coast, Namibia.

02:27On the northwestern coast of Namibia

02:30lies one of the most inhospitable places in the world,

02:33the Skeleton Coast.

02:35Here, the vast Namib Desert abruptly meets the Atlantic Ocean.

02:41This place didn't get its name by accident.

02:45For centuries, it has been the site of countless shipwrecks

02:49due to dense fog, strong ocean currents,

02:53and unpredictable sea conditions.

02:56The cold waters from the Banguela current

02:59create a thick fog that can blanket the coast for days.

03:04Because of this,

03:05it's almost impossible to see where the sea ends

03:08and the land begins.

03:11For the sailors navigating these waters,

03:14it was a dangerous trap.

03:16Many ships ran aground on the shore,

03:19leaving behind their rusty remains

03:21that can still be seen scattered along the sand to this day.

03:26But the danger didn't end there.

03:29The situation became even worse for the shipwreck survivors.

03:36Those who made it to land

03:37had to face a vast and desolate landscape,

03:40miles upon miles of desert without enough water or shelter.

03:45And they had almost no routes to escape.

03:49Many of them eventually succumbed to the extreme heat,

03:53thirst, or from losing their way.

03:56Virunga National Park

03:58Democratic Republic of the Congo

04:00In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

04:04lies Virunga National Park,

04:06one of the most stunning nature reserves

04:08and also one of the most dangerous places in Africa.

04:11Virunga, established in 1925,

04:13it is the oldest national park in Africa.

04:16It is home to countless species of animals and plants,

04:20including the rare mountain gorillas,

04:22which are among the animals in danger

04:24of vanishing completely from the world.

04:26But behind this beautiful nature

04:28lies a serious danger.

04:30Virunga is located in an area

04:32with some of the most active volcanoes.

04:35Among them is Mount Nirugongo,

04:37known for its massive lava lake.

04:39Over the years,

04:41volcanic eruptions have caused widespread evacuations

04:45and even threatened nearby cities like Goma.

04:49Aside from natural hazards,

04:51there has also been armed conflict in this region

04:54for several decades.

04:56Because of this,

04:57the Virunga rangers are considered

04:59among those facing an extremely difficult and dangerous job.

05:04Their duty is to protect the wildlife and the ecosystem,

05:08despite the extremely harsh conditions.

05:11They risk their lives to preserve

05:14one of the world's remaining great wildlife habitats.

05:20Kibera, Kenya.

05:22Just outside Nairobi,

05:23the capital of Kenya,

05:25lies Kibera,

05:26one of the largest and most densely populated

05:28informal settlements in Africa.

05:30From the air,

05:32it looks like a vast sea of tin roofs

05:34stretching as far as the eye can see.

05:37Between them,

05:38you can see narrow alleyways

05:40where hundreds of thousands of people live.

05:44Estimates regarding the exact population vary,

05:47but it is estimated that several hundred thousand

05:50to nearly a million people

05:52could be living crammed together in Kibera.

05:55Within such a small area,

05:57the houses are usually made of flimsy materials

06:00like mud,

06:01wood,

06:01and corrugated iron.

06:03Many residents also lack reliable access

06:06to basic services

06:07such as clean drinking water,

06:09proper sewerage,

06:10and electricity.

06:12Because of these conditions,

06:14residents face many dangers.

06:17These include illnesses

06:18caused by poor sanitation,

06:21fires that can be sparked

06:23by improvised electrical devices,

06:25and violent incidents

06:27that are part of the problems

06:28plaguing the area.

06:30During the rainy season,

06:32some parts of the community

06:34can also get flooded,

06:36making conditions even harder

06:38for the residents.

06:39Lake Natron,

06:40Tanzania

06:41In northern Tanzania,

06:44near the border of Kenya,

06:45lies Lake Natron,

06:47one of the most unique

06:48and inhospitable lakes in the world.

06:50At first glance,

06:52the striking red color

06:54of the water stands out,

06:55along with the minerals

06:56encrusting its edges.

06:58It creates a landscape

06:59that looks like it came

07:00from another planet.

07:01But behind its unique appearance

07:03lies an extremely dangerous environment.

07:06The lake's water

07:07has an exceptionally high concentration

07:10of sodium carbonate

07:11and other alkaline compounds.

07:14Because of this,

07:15the water's pH level

07:17can reach nearly 10

07:18or even higher.

07:20Such chemical conditions

07:21make the lake's water

07:23extremely alkaline

07:24and dangerous.

07:26When some small animals

07:28fall in here,

07:29minerals can encase

07:30their bodies over time.

07:33Because of this,

07:34some animals can look as if

07:36they turned to stone

07:37or were preserved

07:39after dying around the lake.

07:41However,

07:42Lake Natron is also

07:43an important place

07:44for wildlife.

07:46Every year,

07:48millions of young flamingos

07:49flock to the shallow parts

07:51of the lake to breed.

07:53They take advantage

07:54of the lake's

07:55persistent extreme conditions,

07:58which are the very reason

07:59most humans and predators

08:01avoid it.

08:02Danakil Depression,

08:04Ethiopia

08:04In the northeastern part

08:06of Ethiopia

08:07lies the Danakil Depression,

08:09one of the most extreme

08:10places on Earth.

08:13It is located

08:14in the so-called

08:15Afar Triangle,

08:16a geologically active area

08:18where three tectonic plates

08:20are gradually pulling apart,

08:21with average temperatures

08:23here tending

08:23to be among

08:25the highest in the world.

08:27In the hottest months,

08:28the temperature

08:29easily exceeds

08:3045 degrees Celsius,

08:32but the heat

08:33isn't the only problem.

08:34The area is full

08:37of volcanoes,

08:38cracks in the ground,

08:40sulfur deposits,

08:41and brightly colored

08:42lagoons formed

08:43by minerals

08:44and chemicals.

08:45In places like Dalol,

08:47right inside

08:48the Danakil Depression,

08:50the ground

08:50constantly bubbles

08:52due to hydrothermal

08:53activity.

08:54The toxic gases,

08:56sulfur emissions,

08:57and acid deposits

08:58create an extremely

09:00hazardous environment

09:01for any living organism.

09:03Despite these

09:04almost hellish conditions,

09:06there are local

09:07communities that have

09:08lived in the region

09:09for a long time.

09:11For centuries,

09:12they have learned

09:13to live and adapt

09:14to one of the harshest

09:15environments in the world.

09:17One of their main

09:19traditional activities

09:20is salt harvesting.

09:23Zambezi River,

09:24Zambia,

09:25and Zimbabwe.

09:27Stretching over

09:272,500 kilometers,

09:29the Zambezi River

09:30is one of the most

09:31important rivers

09:32in Africa.

09:33It originates

09:34in the northwestern

09:35part of Zambia

09:36and passes through

09:37several countries

09:38before finally emptying

09:39into the Indian Ocean.

09:41But some sections

09:43of the Zambezi

09:44are considered

09:44among the most

09:45dangerous stretches

09:46of river

09:47on the continent.

09:49One of the most

09:50impressive

09:51is the place

09:52home to one

09:52of the largest

09:53waterfalls

09:54in the world.

09:56Here,

09:57millions of liters

09:58of water

09:59plunge every second

10:00over a massive cliff

10:02creating a deafening roar

10:04and a mist of water

10:05that can be seen

10:06from afar.

10:08Because of the

10:08tremendous force

10:09of the water

10:10in this area,

10:11the surroundings

10:11become extremely dangerous.

10:13But even far

10:14from the falls,

10:15many dangers

10:16still lurk

10:17in the Zambezi River.

10:18Its waters are home

10:19to a large population

10:21of Nile crocodiles

10:22and hippopotamuses.

10:25These two

10:26are among

10:26the most dangerous

10:27animals in Africa.

10:29Every year,

10:30incidents occur

10:31when people

10:31or boats

10:32get too close

10:33to them.

10:34Especially since

10:36they are naturally

10:36territorial.

10:38Great Rift Valley,

10:39Ethiopia,

10:40and Kenya.

10:41Across East Africa

10:43stretches

10:43the Great Rift Valley,

10:45a massive crack

10:46in the Earth's crust,

10:48spanning thousands

10:49of kilometers

10:50from the Red Sea

10:51all the way

10:51to Mozambique.

10:52In countries

10:53like Ethiopia

10:54and Kenya,

10:55this colossal crack

10:57on the Earth's surface

10:58has forged

10:59a breathtaking landscape

11:00filled with volcanoes,

11:02deep lakes,

11:03and sheer rock cliffs.

11:05The formation

11:06of this valley

11:07began due to

11:08the slow movement

11:09of tectonic plate.

11:10Over millions

11:11of years,

11:12the African plate

11:13began to split apart,

11:15gradually pulling away

11:17in opposite directions,

11:18causing the land

11:19to crack and sink

11:21in certain areas.

11:22This process continues

11:23even today,

11:24which is why

11:25the region remains

11:26very active

11:27when it comes

11:27to geological activity.

11:30The movement

11:31of tectonic plates

11:32has caused

11:32numerous volcanoes,

11:34earthquakes,

11:35and lakes

11:35formed within

11:36what are called

11:37ancient volcanic calderas.

11:40Some of the lakes

11:41have water

11:42rich in minerals

11:43or gases.

11:44In other areas,

11:45the ground

11:45can suddenly split open

11:47due to the tension

11:48building up beneath it.

11:51Namib Death Note

11:52Along the Atlantic coast

11:54of southwestern Africa

11:56lies the Namib Desert,

11:58considered to be

11:59one of the oldest

12:00deserts in the world.

12:01It is estimated

12:03that this extreme landscape

12:04has remained arid

12:06for more than

12:0650 million years.

12:09The Namib is famous

12:10for its colossal

12:11reddish sand dunes.

12:13Some of them

12:14are among the highest

12:15sand dunes

12:16in the world

12:16and can exceed

12:17300 meters in height.

12:20These dunes

12:21move slowly

12:22with the wind,

12:23so the landscape

12:24is constantly changing.

12:26Here,

12:26the extreme heat,

12:28severe aridity,

12:28and lack of water

12:30make simple survival

12:31a constant challenge.

12:33Unlike other deserts,

12:35the Atlantic Ocean

12:36has a huge impact

12:37on the Namib.

12:38The cold Benguela current

12:40creates a thick fog

12:41that rolls in

12:42from the coast

12:43into the desert.

12:44For many species

12:45of animals and plants,

12:47this fog is their

12:48only source of water.

12:50Because of this,

12:51some plants and animals

12:52are still able to survive

12:54in a place

12:54that seems impossible

12:55to inhabit.

12:57Even so,

12:58the conditions here

12:59remain extremely harsh.

13:01The extreme temperatures,

13:03intense dryness,

13:05and lack of essential resources

13:07make this desert

13:08one of the most

13:09inhospitable environments

13:10in Africa.

13:11It is a place

13:12where,

13:13over millions of years,

13:15nature has gradually

13:16sculpted one of the most

13:17extreme landscapes

13:19in the world.

13:21Makoko,

13:22Nigeria.

13:23In the sprawling city

13:24of Lagos,

13:25there is a place

13:26unlike most of the city.

13:28This is Makoko,

13:30a community largely built

13:32right on top

13:33of the lagoon's waters.

13:35Thousands of wooden houses

13:36stand on top of slender

13:38and fragile stilts.

13:41Conditions here

13:42are extremely tough.

13:43Many houses

13:44lack proper sanitation

13:45while the water

13:46is heavily polluted

13:48and contaminated.

13:49Fire can also spread quickly

13:51through these closely

13:52packed wooden structures.

13:54Besides this,

13:55the community also faces

13:56problems like poverty,

13:58crime,

13:59and an extremely high

14:00population density

14:01in a very small area.

14:03A large part of the community

14:04is also directly

14:06above the water.

14:07Because of this,

14:09many families literally

14:10live amid filthy surroundings

14:12and are vulnerable

14:13to flooding

14:14or landslides.

14:16Because of all these problems,

14:18Makoko has become

14:19one of Africa's

14:20most dangerous

14:21urban communities

14:22and one of the

14:23hardest places to live.

14:24It is a place

14:25where thousands of people

14:26face extremely harsh

14:28conditions every day.

14:30Africa is a continent

14:32of stark contrasts

14:34and extreme conditions.

14:36A vast expanse

14:38where nature

14:39can be breathtaking,

14:41yet it can also

14:42be exceedingly brutal.

14:44On our journey

14:45through these places,

14:46we have witnessed lakes

14:47filled with hazardous chemicals,

14:50deserts shaped by nature

14:51over millions of years,

14:53volcanoes with massive lava lakes,

14:56and rivers dominated

14:57by some of the most

14:58dangerous animals on Earth.

15:00Yet, we have also seen

15:03that even in these

15:04inhospitable places,

15:05life always finds

15:06a way to adapt.

15:08There are communities

15:09that have learned

15:10to live alongside

15:11extreme heat,

15:12volcanic activity,

15:14and landscapes

15:14that, at first glance,

15:17seem utterly uninhabitable.

15:18These places remind us

15:20of one important thing.

15:23Earth is still a wild

15:25and vast planet

15:26full of remote corners

15:28where nature continues

15:29to assert its own laws.

15:33And now,

15:34I want to know your opinion.

15:36Of all the places

15:38we have seen,

15:39which do you think

15:40is the most dangerous?

15:41Let me know in the comments

15:43if you like journeys

15:44to the most dangerous places.

15:47Subscribe to Noel Polo Television

15:49so you don't miss

15:50any of our upcoming adventures.

15:52Thank you very much for watching.

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