Cities in the usual sense should be comfortable and civilized, but this is not always the case. On the geographic map there are such extreme cities, where the population constantly faces problems of mortality from dehydration, frostbite, loneliness or radiation.
If you complain about your city, imagine living in one of our list. Or vice versa, if you are looking for extreme, pack your bags and welcome to the top 8 most extreme cities in the world.
1. The coldest
For the population of Yakutsk (Russia), 30-degree frost is the warmest weather in winter. Mostly, the temperature here is around 40 degrees. The maximum frost was recorded -64. Even in summer it is only -8. Despite this permafrost, Yakutsk remains the largest city in these parts.
Imagine, to leave the house you need to put on the warmest and most. Of course, the indigenous population tries not to go outside unnecessarily. Motor transport is used very rarely and very carefully, since when leaving in severe frost you need to constantly warm up the car, lock the steering wheel, defrost the locks. The frozen air from exhaust gases, smog and even the breath of the population constantly hangs over the city.
2. The hottest
How about something warmer? Welcome to Kuwait! Severe heat and sandstorms tickle the nerves of its residents and visiting tourists every year. The average annual temperature is plus 34 degrees. In summer it is 45 and higher. In summer, the population does not leave the beach to escape the heat. But often such weather can be dangerous, as can the city itself. Locals are banned from working from 11 to 16, but this does not apply to visitors. The city is also condemned for systematic violence against foreign domestic workers, who were reportedly turned into slaves.
3. The driest
A city where you can forget your umbrella at home and get caught in the rain without worrying. There simply isn't one here. Aswan is the driest city in the world. Less than 1 mm of precipitation falls here per year. How can there be no moisture here? It may not be pouring from the sky, but it is simply nearby. The city is located on the Nile, and in its southern part is the largest dam in the world, the Aswan Dam. One of the largest reservoirs in the world, Lake Nasser, is located here. Ironically, the name of the city, "Aswan," is an ancient Nubian word meaning "too much water." In fact, the city was named after a flood on the Nile River, and who knew then that it would be the driest city in the world.
4. The wettest
The port city of Buenaventura boasts record levels of rainfall. The city constantly suffers from excess moisture, concrete crumbles, metal rusts and corrodes, wooden facades crumble. It seems that this city is simply punished by nature for the brutal way of life of the population. Drug trafficking is thriving here, and three street gangs in the struggle for power over the city constantly commit murders, violence, torture, dismemberment. The authorities try to fight this without much success.
5. The windiest
Watch out for the wind! Wellington is located in the Roaring Forties, or Wind River, a meteorological phenomenon that runs between 40° and 50° latitude in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, a wave of hot equatorial air collides with the polar vortex, sending gusts of wind crashing across southern South America and Wellington. The average wind speed is 29 km/h.
6. The highest located
Want to take a funicular ride over a canyon instead of a 5-kilometer descent through the mountains between the two cities? El Alto, at 4,150 meters above sea level, is located on the Altiplano plateau of Bolivia. Originally a slum in the 20th century, it is very inconveniently located higher up. Bolivia's capital, La Paz, is located in the lower valley and is developing very quickly. Between La Paz and El Alto is the world's longest urban funicular.
7. The most isolated
Do you think you are alone? How dare you drive into a town where the nearest big city is two days away, and only through the desert and then the plain? Perth in Australia is such a town. There, it is considered such a great feat that there are even special bumper stickers reminding you of the driver's achievements. At first glance, it may seem like a backwater, but in terms of cultural development, it is in no way inferior to other cities. And even more, its remoteness may be just what gives this town a huge plus, preserving the deepest diamond mine in the world. No one suffers from idleness here. Unemployment here is only a couple of percent. So we can consider this the best town to move to for permanent residence.
8. The most difficult to reach
Iquitos. This is not like going to the local supermarket for bread. There are only two ways to get to the Peruvian “capital of the Amazon” – by boat or by plane. Small boats reach the city via the Atlantic Ocean, some have to go 3.6 km up the Amazon. By air, you will have to travel with transfers from Lima, Peru or Panama. Due to the extreme remoteness, there are very few cars here. The local transport network is represented mainly by rickshaws. The city has its quirks and religion, but if you manage to get here, then you can buy the rarest things at the market, such as snake oil or spider monkeys.
