SKELETON COAST
LENGTH: 310 mi (500 km)
WIDTH: 25 mi (40 km)
At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be anything strange about this VERY LONG BEACH overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. But, if you look closer, you’ll notice something that makes it distinctly creepy: thousands of BONES and SKELETONS scattered across the sand. They are the remains of the many WHALES and marine animals that have beached themselves over the years. This beach is actually a DESERT, without a single drop of fresh water. It is not unusual to see predators roaming the sands for food, scavenging among the WRECKAGE of the numerous ships that have fallen victim to the strong sea currents.
CONTINENT: Africa NATIONS: Angola and Namibia
TYPE OF PLACE: beach
DANGEROUS FEATURE FUN FACT
The presence of predators in the area (hyenas, leopards, and cheetahs) and the lack of fresh water.
Due to the large number of shipwrecks, this coast is also known as the “ship cemetery.”
NUMBER STEAMBOAT GEYSER
NUMBER OF ACTIVE GEYSERS IN YELLOWSTONE: more than 200 w
Whata“hothead”! Haha,getit?
This geothermal feature at YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK is actually one of the world’s most DANGEROUS tourist attractions. Not only is Steamboat Geyser still active, it is also the TALLEST GEYSER IN THE WORLD, throwing jets of water and steam more than 295 feet (90 meters) into the air. It can “wake up” at any time, when you least expect it. If you want to visit, you must absolutely stay on the marked trails, or you might accidentally SINK INTO THE GROUND and burn your FEET in the boiling groundwater, which can reach over 248°F (120°C).
CONTINENT: North America
NATION: United States TYPE OF PLACE: geothermal area
DANGEROUS FEATURE
May emit unpredictable jets of steam, and the groundwater is boiling hot.
FUN FACT
The water eruptions can last up to 40 minutes, while the subsequent jets of steam can go on for days.
LAKE NATRON
ALTITUDE:
1,970 ft (600 m)
MAXIMUM DEPTH: 10 ft (3 m)
Its unusual RED color makes this a unique and splendid lake, but this beauty can also be DEADLY: beware of swimming! Its salty water can reach a TEMPERATURE OF 140°F (60°C) and is extremely corrosive. This lake’s menacing nature is caused by a nearby VOLCANO, which erupts with extremely TOXIC lava.
Animals that fall into the water often get stuck there and are slowly encrusted with a hard shell similar to stone, transforming them into MUMMIES.
Hey,waitaminute...
Thosepinkdotsinthe lakeareflamingos! Hithere, cousins!
w
CONTINENT: Africa
NATION: Tanzania TYPE OF PLACE: lake
FUN FACT DANGEROUS FEATURE
Lake Natron is composed of extremely salty water and is almost as corrosive as ammonia.
One of the very few animals capable of living in this lake is the flamingo, which can be found here in the thousands.
7
BLUE HOLE DAHAB
LENGTH OF THE TUNNEL THAT LEADS TO THE OPEN SEA: 85 ft (26 m)
Exploring the seabed is always an adventure, but here it can become a HAZARD. This natural ABYSS is hundreds of feet deep and is surrounded by a beautiful coral reef. It sits in the middle of the sea like a huge CIRCULAR HOLE with a bright blue color. Unfortunately, it can also be a DEATH TRAP for divers who go too deep. It’s very easy to LOSE YOUR SENSE OF DIRECTION, making it impossible to find your way out.
NATION: Egypt It’sWow!
CONTINENT: Africa
TYPE OF PLACE: submarine sinkhole
DANGEROUS FEATURE
FUN FACT
It’s a trap for divers trying to cross the underwater tunnel. Its waters are full of beautiful tropical fish.
KAWAH IJEN
ALTITUDE:
1,970 ft (600 m)
ThisSULFUR reallysmells!
All volcanoes have certain dangerous features, but KAWAH IJEN has even more than usual! In addition to LAVA , it constantly erupts SULFUROUS gas. These vapors are terribly STINKY and very TOXIC , making the air unbreathable. Anyone wishing to visit the summit has to wear a GAS MASK to avoid death by asphyxiation. Inside the crater you can admire a beautiful turquoise lake, but that color doesn’t come from water. It’s actually full of poisonous HYDROCHLORIC ACID.
w
CONTINENT: Asia
NATION: Java, Indonesia
TYPE OF PLACE: volcano
DANGEROUS FEATURE
This volcano doesn’t only emit toxic gases, it is also topped by a lake of acid.
FUN FACT
At night you can see the flicker of blue flames, created by the sulfur gases as they catch fire.
NUMBER KOMODO ISLAND
SURFACE AREA:
243 mi2
(391 km2)
Yikes!
I’ll just be hiding over here, okay?
Landing on this island means entering the territory of one of the largest and most aggressive reptiles in the world! The KOMODO DRAGON has a prehistoric appearance, weighs over 220 pounds (100 kilograms), and can reach a length of 10 feet (3 meters). Its massive body doesn’t prevent it from moving with EXTREME SPEED, and it attacks any living thing that can be turned into food. Its bite is 5 times more powerful than ours, and it is considered one of the most fearsome predators of the animal kingdom because it can inflict very serious wounds or even DEATH.
CONTINENT: Asia
NATION: Indonesia w
TYPE OF PLACE: island
I’maKomodo dragon,sothis islandismine!
KomodoMynameis too!
FUN FACT DANGEROUS FEATURE
The dragon’s saliva contains a substance that prevents blood from clotting, so the victim continues to bleed long after the bite.
As long as you avoid the large reptiles, Komodo is a lovely place! Its most famous beach is pink, thanks to tiny fragments of red coral mixed into the white sand.
DASHT-E LUT DESERT
SURFACE AREA:
about 20,000 mi2 (51,800 km2)
This desert is hot enough to make my feathers fall off!
Here you might feel like you’re inside a HOT OVEN! The EXTREME HEAT combined with the lack of rain makes this desert particularly inhospitable. The only things in abundance are sand and hot gravel. Visiting this place requires not only great COURAGE but also plenty of food, water, fuel, and anything else you might need for your trip because NOT A LIVING SOUL can be found here. In the summer of 2005, this place achieved the record-setting temperature of 159.3°F (70.7°C).
CONTINENT: Asia
NATION: Iran w
TYPE OF PLACE: desert
DANGEROUS FEATURE
The heat here is extreme and suffocating.
In the local language, the word “LUT” means “bare and empty.” FUN FACT
ANTARCTICA
ALTITUDE:
5.5 million sq miles
(14.2 million sq k) w
Brrrr,it’scold!
Antarctica is the continent surrounding the South Pole. It is almost entirely covered in ice and snow, and you can probably guess that this place is extremely COLD. But can you guess exactly how cold? In the center of ANTARCTICA , the frozen plateau will truly test your ability to resist freezing to death. Here, winter temperatures can drop to -144°F (-98°C), freezing conditions that have never been reached anywhere else on Earth. A coat definitely won’t be enough to protect you from the chill!
CONTINENT: Antarctica
TYPE OF PLACE: polar ice cap
DANGEROUS FEATURE
The air is incredibly dry, and each breath of air instantly transforms into icy needles.
FUN FACT
There is very little rainfall each year, so from this perspective, Antarctica can actually be considered a desert!
NUMBER DANAKIL DESERT
ALTITUDE:
-328 ft (-100 m)
(it’s below sea level)
This is no ordinary desert. In addition to an air temperature that rarely falls below 122°F (50°C), this region is also a VOLCANIC AREA with plenty of EARTHQUAKES. The many iridescently colored hot springs release SULFUR VAPORS into the air that are particularly smelly, acidic, and POISONOUS. These vapors, and other highly toxic gases, render the air unbreathable and make this uninhabited place one of the SCARIEST IN THE WORLD. A trip here, even a short one, will definitely put your health at risk. w
CONTINENT: Africa
NATION: Ethiopia
TYPE OF PLACE: desert
DANGEROUS FEATURE
It releases toxic gases and reaches exceptionally high temperatures.
FUN FACT
This region contains one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Erta Ale.
NUMBER
DARVAZA CRATER
DIAMETER
OF THE CRATER:
230 ft (70 m)
Be careful not to fall in!
This crack in Earth’s crust in the KARAKUM Desert really does seem to lead to the UNDERWORLD, which is why the locals know it as the DOOR TO HELL . The DANGER level here is very high. It is actually a huge natural deposit of METHANE gas, the opening of which is as large as a soccer field. To prevent the gas from leaking into the atmosphere, it was set on fire in 1971, and it has burned uninterrupted ever since!
CONTINENT: Asia
NATION: Turkmenistan
TYPE OF PLACE: gaseous crater
DANGEROUS FEATURE
The crater is ready to explode at any moment.
FUN FACT
At night, the light emanating from the crater can be seen from miles away.
CRISTINA BANFI
After graduating with a degree in natural sciences from the University of Milan, Cristina has taught in various schools. For more than 20 years, she has worked in scientific communication and educational play and has enjoyed several editorial experiences in both scholastic and educational fields, particularly those dedicated to a young audience. In recent years she has created several titles for White Star.
PHOTO CREDITS
Kurit afshen/Shutterstock: cover bottom right; Bauer Scott/Shutterstock: 16 bottom; Bergwitz Uwe/Shutterstock: 23 bottom; BiniClick/Shutterstock: 26 bottom; Bischoff Lukas Photograph/ Shutterstock: 4, 4-5; I Gede Budiwijaya/Shutterstock: back cover bottom, 20; Corlaffra/ Shutterstock: 7 bottom; Dawn Crystal Photography/Getty Images: 17 bottom; Delimont Danita Shutterstock: 13 right bottom; Deni_Sugandi/Shutterstock: 10 bottom; Drakuliren/ Shutterstock: 3, 34; Efendy Ada/Shutterstock: 18-19; Allen.G/Shutterstock: 11 bottom; Gasich Tatiana/Shutterstock: 31 bottom; Goinyk Production/Shutterstock: back cover bottom left, 28-29, 37 center bottom; GUDKOV ANDREY/Shutterstock: 20-21; Hedien Laura/Shutterstock: 8-9; Isselee Eric/Shutterstock: 28; Iwanami Photos/Shutterstock: 35 bottom right; Kichigin/ Shutterstock: 6 bottom; lexrvulescu/Shutterstock: cover bottom left; Lockenes/Shutterstock: 1 bottom right, 37 bottom left; Manamana/Shutterstock: 32; Szymczak Marcin/Shutterstock: 25 bottom; Marketa1982/Shutterstock: 14-15, 36 bottom right; May Boyle Katie/Shutterstock: 7 bottom; Kate_N/Shutterstock: 9 bottom right, 36 center; Zheltiakov Pavel/Shutterstock: 27 bottom; Photomaster/Shutterstock: 6 bottom, 8, 12; Piu_Piu/Shutterstock: 30 bottom; Borovka Radek/Shutterstock: 32-33; Rehak Matyas/Shutterstock: cover bottom, 34-35; Restimage/ Shutterstock: 26 bottom, 40; F. Rubino/Shutterstock: 27 bottom; Uryadnikov Sergey/Shutterstock: 22 bottom, 37 center bottom; Shuai Jie Guo/Shutterstock: 14; Smarta/Shutterstock: 19 bottom right; Solarisys/Shutterstock: 15 bottom right; Stockphoto mania/Shutterstock: 16 bottom, 20 left, 22 bottom, 24, 36 bottom left, 37 bottom right; Stringer/Getty Images: 11 bottom; Larina Vera/Shutterstock: 12-13; Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock: 1 bottom left, 22 center; Wolfgang Kaehler/Getty Images: 31 bottom right, 31 center; Mrs_ya/Shutterstock: 10 bottom, 18, 30 bottom, 37 bottom; Andrey Yurlov/Shutterstock: back cover bottom right, 23 bottom; Birukov Yury/Shutterstock: 24-25.
Design and layout: Valentina Figus
WS whitestar kidsTM is a trademark of White Star s.r.l.
© 2024 White Star s.r.l. Piazzale Luigi Cadorna, 6 - 20123 Milan, Italy www.whitestar.it
Translation: Qontent
Editing: Michele Suchomel-Casey
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.
First printing, May 2024
ISBN 978-88-544-2101-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 28 27 26 25 24
Printed and manufactured in China by XY Cultural and Creative Park, Guangzhou
