10 extraordinary places on earth

1. It seems that the fire in the Darvaza crater will never go out. This hole is also called the “Gates of Hell”, its diameter is 59 meters and its depth is 19. The crater is located in Turkmenistan, in the Karakum desert. This is a real giant furnace in which natural gas has been burning for more than 40 years, after Soviet geologists decided to set it on fire in a well that failed due to drilling and a hole filled with gas, so that it would not go outside and poison local residents. Geologists thought that the fire would soon go out, but they were very mistaken. (Photo: Brian Schrader/Flickr.com).

2. The "Blue Grotto" on the Italian island of Capri is a cave that was formed as a result of washing out limestone rocks. The natural light penetrating there illuminates it with all sorts of shades of blue. Previously, this grotto was known as Gradola. It was discovered by the German Augusta Kopisch. This is probably the most popular tourist attraction in Capri. (Photo: ehpien/Flickr.com).

3. Known as the "Great Blue Hole", Belize's coral reef is one of the largest in the world. Its ecosystem is so complex that researchers have been able to study only one tenth of the species of flora and fauna living there. This place is especially popular among divers. (Photo: wstera2/Flickr.com).

4. Unusual canyons carved into sandstone and limestone rocks by fast-flowing water can be seen in the states of Utah and Arizona in the USA. Some of them are only one meter wide, but about 30 meters deep. Antelope Canyon is considered the most beautiful, probably because of such unusual bright colors. It is located on the Navajo Indian Reservation. (Photo: SteveD/Flickr.com).

5. Mount Roraima (2810 meters above sea level) is located on the border of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil in the Canaima National Park. You can climb this amazing mountain only with a guide, and the way to the top will take at least 5 days. Mount Roraima is considered one of the oldest geological formations on Earth. (Photo: Gunther Wegner/Flickr.com).

6. Kalb ar-Riszat is a crater-like geological structure in the Sahara. It is located about 25 kilometers northeast of the city of Vadan in Mauritania. It is also called the "Eye of the Sahara". With a diameter of 45 kilometers, the "eye" is perfectly visible from space. So, no one knows until the end how this structure was formed. At first it was believed that this was a meteorite crater, and now that it is not a fully formed volcano. (Photo: NASA).

7. The Jeita cave complex in the Dog Valley is the largest known rock cave in Lebanon. Underground structures that rest on limestone pillars are located near Beirut. These caves contain one of the largest stalactites on Earth - over 8 meters high. (Photo: Yunus Emre Aydoğan/Flickr.com).

8. The Jeita cave complex in the Dog Valley is the largest known rock cave in Lebanon. Underground structures that rest on limestone pillars are located near Beirut. These caves contain one of the largest stalactites on Earth - over 8 meters high. (Photo: Yunus Emre Aydoğan/Flickr.com).

9. Ngorongoro is an extinct volcano caldera located in the northern part of Tanzania. This crater is surrounded by three lakes: Eyasi, Manyara, Natron. The wetlands and Lake Magadi in the center of the crater are fed by the Lonyokie and Mung rivers. It is an ideal habitat for many species of African animals. A long 3.2-kilometer road leads to the bottom of the crater, which has not been repaired since 1959. The crater is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. (Photo: Matt Champlin, Nitin Vyas/Flickr.com).

9. Valle de la Luna or the Valley of the Moon is an Argentine national park and the place where the oldest remains of dinosaurs were discovered, which lived on our planet about 230 million years ago. Valle de la Luna is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The rocks, which seem to pierce the sky, owe their unusual shape to the winds that carved them. This park can only be visited in the presence of guards. (Photo: Gustavo Nudo (Guslight)/Flickr.com).

11. This amazing "Stone Forest" is located 120 kilometers southeast of the city of Kunming in China. During the Ming Dynasty, these tall rock spiers were called the "First Wonder of the World". It is currently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The unusual shapes of tall cliffs that look like growing trees or animals are the result of erosion that has lasted for millions of years. (Photo: kwloo/Flickr.com).