Geographics

The place I am describing is one of the Easternmost regions of Russia and was almost entirely uninhabited until the start of the 20th Century, when prospectors first found precious metal. In any other place, or at any other time, it could have become a land of plenty and opportunity; instead, it became a sprawling region of despair and meaningless death, home to hundreds of thousands of slaves, forced to toil in labour camps.

Our very first Geographics video was about a Russian prison, Pyatak, made famous by its remote location and by the regime of isolation to which its inmates are sentenced. In today’s Geographics, we will explore another prison, which in a way is the radical opposite of Pyatak. This correctional facility is located in one of the most densely populated districts of a great European capital. Its residents are unlikely to complain about being left alone … if anything, overpopulation is more of a problem. So, welcome, or should I say Bienvenues to La Santé Prison in Paris, France.

In the middle of the Ob River in Siberia lies a forgotten island. Never officially named, it’s known after the nearest village: the hamlet of Nazino. But people who live in this desolate region know the island has another, secret name; a name you will never find on Google Maps. Over seventy years ago, dark things happened on this strip of earth surrounded by icy waters, things so horrifying they were kept hidden for decades. Things which resulted in this nameless place becoming known as Cannibal Island.

The Alamo: The Birthplace of Texas

It’s one of the most iconic sights in Australia, perhaps in the world. In the Central Desert, a vast sandstone monolith rises from an endless flat plain, its red walls changing color with the shifting sunlight. Taller than the Eiffel Tower, older than the Himalayas, and covering more area than the entire nation of Monaco, it goes by the ancient name of Uluru. Today, it is one of the most sacred places in the entire world.

What’s that landscape of idyllic valleys nestled on the Pyrenees mountain range? Is it a Spain? Is it a France? No, it’s the 16th smallest country in the world, the Principality of Andorra. Join me in Today’s Geographics, as we explore some useful and pointless facts about this charming country. We will learn about Andorra’s unique system of government, its history and about that one time when a con artist became its King …

Out on the vast plains of the Kazakh steppe lies a place with an eerie secret. Covering an 18,500 square km stretch of wilderness, it looks to all intents and purposes like just another swathe of endless grassland. Yet this quiet exterior hides a sinister past. During the years of the Soviet Union, this area was strictly off-limits.Those who could get close enough witnessed blinding flashes, watched in awe as mushroom clouds expanded across the sky. This place’s name was the Semipalatinsk test site, also known as the Polygon. Today, we know it as the most-nuked place on Earth.

The Winchester Mystery House: The Building of an American Legend

Jamestown: Why Did America’s Birthplace Almost Fail?

In today’s Geographics, we’re headed for downtown Los Angeles, to the area known as Skid Row. At the intersection of South Main and 7th Street stands the Cecil Hotel, which infamously became known as ‘the deadliest hotel in LA’, or ‘LA’s tower of terror’, or even as ‘the most haunted hotel in Los Angeles.’

Ryugyong Hotel: North Korea’s Hotel of Doom

The Pyramids of Giza:

Easter Island: The Secrets of the Moai and the Decline of the Rapa Nui

The Hoover Dam: America’s Engineering Miracle

Baikonur Cosmodrome: The Soviet Gateway to the Stars

The Aral Sea: The Toxic Soviet Sea

Clipperton Island: Mexico's Forgotten Murder Colony

Chicxulub: The Asteroid that Killed the Dinosaurs

Gettysburg: America’s Deadliest Battle

San Marino: The Oldest Republic in the World

Stonehenge: England’s Megalithic Mystery

Longwood House: The Super Prison Built to Hold Napoleon

Bikini Atoll: America’s Atomic Island

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of the Incas

Route 66: The Asphalt Soul of America

Palermo's Crypt of the Mummies

Deepwater Horizon: Fire and Greed in the Gulf of Mexico

New Amsterdam: The Dutch Trading Post that Became NYC

Yellowstone Supervolcano: America’s Armageddon

Severny: Where the USSR Tested the Biggest Nuke in History

Newgrange: Ireland’s Ancient Masterpiece

The Oregon Trail: Dreams, Disaster, and Conquering the West

Dien Bien Phu: Hell Rains Down in the Land of Heaven

Liechtenstein: Europe’s Last Absolute Monarchy

Casablanca: More Than a Movie

Buckingham Palace: Royal Tales of Spirits, Stalkers and Spies

Mount Everest: The World’s Deadliest Tourist Attraction

The Grand Guignol, Paris: Theatre of Horror and Gore

Waterloo: The Battle that Ended An Empire

Palace of the Parliament: Romania's Communist Monster

Singapore: The Last City State in the World

The Stonewall Inn: The Birthplace of a Revolution

Great Wall of China History’s Biggest Barrier in the world

Tintagel: King Arthur’s Legendary Castle

Skara Brae: Orkney’s Neolithic Heart

Halifax: Canada's Great War Casualty

Cascadia: The Earthquake that will Destroy Westcoast America

The Pan-American Highway: The Longest Road in the World

North Sentinel Island: Home to the World’s Most Isolated People

Central Government War Headquarters: The UK’s Secret Nuclear Bunker

Petra: The Ancient Lost City of Stone

Loch Ness: Home of the Water Horse

The White House: Build it, Guard it, Haunt it!

In the 1970s, Cambodia's Khmer Rouge ran a horrifying prison camp called S21 that was at the heart of one of the worst genocides ever recorded. Fewer than 1% of those who stayed there made it out alive.

Thanks to Dollar Shave Club for sponsoring. Go to http://DollarShaveClub.com/geographics to get your first starter set for $5. After that, full price products will ship at regular prices. → Subscribe for new videos two times per week. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHKRfxkMTqiiv4pF99qGKIw?sub_confirmation=1 This video is #sponsored by Dollar Shave Club. Our sister channels: Biographics - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnDI2sdehVm1zm_LmUHsjQ TopTenz - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ-hpFPF4nOKoKPEAZM_THw/ Credits: Host - Simon Whistler Author - Morris M. Producer - Jennifer Da Silva Executive Producer - Shannon Harris Business inquiries to admin@toptenz.net Further reading: Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Andreas-Fault US Geological Survey: https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/earthquake-hazards/science/back-future-san-andreas-fault?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects San Andreas Fault facts: https://www.livescience.com/45294-san-andreas-fault.html Also: https://traveltips.usatoday.com/san-andreas-history-22705.html Smithsonian: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-will-really-happen-california-when-san-andreas-unleashes-big-one-180955432/ Southern California Public Radio’s excellent, in-depth guide to surviving the Big One: https://the-big-one.scpr.org/stories/ CNN explainer: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/06/us/what-is-the-san-andreas-fault-line-trnd/index.html 1906 SF quake: https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/1906-san-francisco-earthquake https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-san-francisco-earthquake Inequality in earthquakes: https://the-big-one.scpr.org/stories/wealth-gap.html Boil Water warnings: https://the-big-one.scpr.org/stories/water.html Northridge quake: https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/1994-northridge-earthquake Fort Tejon earthquake: https://www.c

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Go to http://go.thoughtleaders.io/1895520200914 for unlimited access to the world’s top documentaries and non­fiction series, and for our listeners, enter the promo code GEOGRAPHICS when prompted during the sign­up process and your membership is completely free for the first 30 days. → Subscribe for new videos two times per week. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHKRfxkMTqiiv4pF99qGKIw?sub_confirmation=1 This channel is #sponsored by CuriosityStream. Our sister channels: Biographics - https:/

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Check out Squarespace: http://squarespace.com/geographics for 10% off on your first purchase. → Subscribe for new videos two times per week. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHKRfxkMTqiiv4pF99qGKIw?sub_confirmation=1 This video is #sponsored by Squarespace. Our sister channels: Biographics - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnDI2sdehVm1zm_LmUHsjQ TopTenz - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ-hpFPF4nOKoKPEAZM_THw/ Source/Further reading: Lonely Planet: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/united-a

This video is sponsored by Ground News. Download Ground News for free here: http://check.ground.news/Geographics → Subscribe for new videos two times per week. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHKRfxkMTqiiv4pF99qGKIw?sub_confirmation=1 Our sister channels: Biographics - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnDI2sdehVm1zm_LmUHsjQ TopTenz - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ-hpFPF4nOKoKPEAZM_THw/ This video is #sponsored by Ground News. Source/Further reading: 4 hr podcast on the history of the

Start learning a new language today with Babbel! Get 50% off for six months for a limited time only! Visit https://bit.ly/Geographics → Subscribe for new videos two times per week. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHKRfxkMTqiiv4pF99qGKIw?sub_confirmation=1 Our sister channels: Biographics - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnDI2sdehVm1zm_LmUHsjQ TopTenz - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ-hpFPF4nOKoKPEAZM_THw/ This video is #sponsored by Babbel. Source/Further reading: The Temples of Hum

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Roman Explorations I: The Christian Catacombs of Rome

The Lake Toba Supervolcano: Humanity's Extinction Event

Atacama: The Driest Desert on Earth

Tortuga: The Infamous Pirate Hideout for the Brethren of the Coast

Houska Castle: Europe’s Gateway to Hell

The Bonneville Salt Flats: Decline of the Fastest Place on Earth

The North Sea Tsunami: Britain’s Deadliest Disaster

Onkalo: Finland's 100,000 Year Nuclear Tomb

The Grand Canyon: Breathtaking Beauty, Deadly Attraction

Göbekli Tepe: The Dawn of Civilization

Roman Explorations II: The Roman Forum

Monaco: Europe’s Strangest Microstate

The Dust Bowl: Darkness in the Great Depression

Mount St. Helens: America’s Deadliest Eruption

The Fall of Ephesus: Silt, Saint Paul, and the Temple of Artemis

Atlantis of the Sands: The Search for the Lost City of Iram

Lake Karachay: The USSR’s Deadly Nuclear Lake

The Florence Supermax: America's Toughest Prison

Darvaza Gas Crater: The Soviet Gateway to Hell