Strangest Places where people Live

Manshiyat Naser, Cairo, Egypt: the unique and challenging living conditions

The city has become a dumping ground for Cairo's trash due to the lack of an advanced waste management system. As a result, the residents, known as the Zabbaleen or the trash people, have taken it upon themselves to collect, sort, and recycle the garbage. They live in a city permanently buried in garbage, and while they manage to recycle up to 85% of the waste they sort, they face poor living conditions and are among the poorest people in Cairo.

Despite the difficult circumstances, the Zabbaleen have become efficient at recycling and reusing materials, outperforming conventional waste management companies by a significant margin. However, the living conditions and lack of opportunities for betterment make it challenging for them to move out and improve their circumstances.

The passage also emphasizes the resilience of human beings and how people can adapt and live in challenging environments, like the Zabbaleen in Manshiyat Naser. It sheds light on the importance of waste management and the impact it can have on the living conditions of a community.

The Principality of Sealand : a fascinating and unique place

The Principality of Sealand is indeed a fascinating and unique place. It is a metal platform located off the Eastern coast of the United Kingdom, consisting of just one acre of surface area. Originally built as Fort Roughs during World War II for defensive purposes, it was decommissioned in 1956. However, in 1967, it was taken over by Paddy Roy Bates, a former Major in the British Royal Army, who then declared it independent from the United Kingdom, establishing the Principality of Sealand.

Sealand claims to be the smallest nation in the world, with only one acre of land. However, its independence is not officially recognized by any other country, making its status as a "real" country a matter of contention. Currently, only Prince Michael Bates, son of Roy Bates, and his wife reside on Sealand, though they spend most of their time in other countries due to the limited living space.

Despite its tiny size and lack of international recognition, Sealand has some features you'd expect from a nation, such as a coat of arms, a tourism board, its own currency (the Sealand Dollar), and even passports. In its history, Sealand faced a political turmoil when a group of mercenaries attempted to seize it in 1978 but was repelled by the Bates family.

The existence of Sealand raises interesting questions about what defines a nation and its sovereignty. While it may not be widely recognized, it still maintains some aspects of a sovereign state. However, its status remains unique and somewhat controversial in the international community.

Coober Pedy in Australia : underground town

It seems like we're heading to the underground town of Coober Pedy in Australia for our next adventure! Coober Pedy is a unique place where half of its population of 2,500 live underground in houses, shops, and even churches that have been dug into the surrounding sandstone bedrock.

The town's underground lifestyle originated over 100 years ago when it was established as a mining town for opals. Miners seeking fortunes in opals would sleep and eat near opal-rich chunks of rock they discovered to secure their territory. As they dug deeper over the years, the town gradually transformed into the underground society we see today.

Living underground in Coober Pedy offers several advantages, one of which is the regulation of temperatures. The surface temperature in Coober Pedy can range from scorching heat in the summer to chilly in the winter. However, underground homes maintain a steady and pleasant temperature of around 72 degrees Fahrenheit due to reduced interference with the ground's natural temperature. Ventilation shafts provide a continuous supply of fresh air, ensuring proper air circulation.

Residents of Coober Pedy often design their own underground homes, and while it offers a unique opportunity for personalization, there have been instances where enthusiastic residents accidentally dug into their neighbor's homes.

Overall, Coober Pedy provides a fascinating glimpse into an unconventional way of life that allows its inhabitants to escape the extreme weather and embrace a distinctive subterranean lifestyle.

Elliðaey Island : remote and isolated tranquility

Elliðaey Island sounds like the perfect destination for someone seeking remote and isolated tranquility. It is a tiny and scenic island located in the Westman archipelago off the Icelandic coast, measuring just 110 acres, roughly the same size as Vatican City.

Despite its small size, Elliðaey Island is home to only one residence, earning it the nickname "the Loneliest House in the World." However, this house is not a permanent dwelling but rather a hunting lodge built in 1953 by a local hunting association. The purpose of the lodge was to provide temporary housing for hunters who visit the island to hunt puffins. Puffins are not a protected bird in Iceland and are hunted for their coats, meat, and oil.

In the past, Elliðaey Island was inhabited by five families who survived by fishing and raising cattle. However, the last of them left the island in the 1930s, leaving the island mostly uninhabited.

Currently, the lodge on the island can be rented on a nightly basis, offering a unique and remote experience for adventurous travelers. However, reaching the island can be a challenge, and once there, visitors might find limited activities. Apart from exploring the serene natural beauty, there is little to do on the island except enjoying the peace and quiet it offers.

Overall, Elliðaey Island provides an opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life and immerse oneself in the serene and isolated surroundings of nature.

shoebox apartments in Hong Kong : harsh reality

The description of the shoebox apartments in Hong Kong sheds light on the harsh reality faced by many residents in the city. These are subdivided housing units, taken to the extreme, where dozens of people are cramped together in a single tiny room. These apartments can be as small as fifteen square feet, with some housing up to 18 people in a space as small as 400 square feet.

The demand for housing in Hong Kong is exceptionally high due to limited available land for development, which has driven property prices to astronomical levels. As a result, some property owners have found it profitable to split their units into tiny, subdivided spaces and rent them out to multiple tenants, often charging exorbitant rents for these cramped living conditions.

Living in such small spaces requires residents to be extremely resourceful with their storage. Belongings are often hung on hooks or shelves, sometimes even dangling from a bed above. In some shoebox apartments, there may not even be proper walls between units, just wire mesh, reminiscent of dog crates.

The cost of these tiny units might seem relatively low, but for many residents, it still takes up a significant portion of their earnings. The minimum wage in Hong Kong is far from enough to afford even the smallest apartments, leaving many struggling to make ends meet while living in these shoebox homes.

As of 2023, there are around 220,000 residents living in subdivided housing like this in Hong Kong. While the government has expressed intentions to prioritize housing and put an end to shoebox apartments, the process is slow, with plans stretching as far as 2049, leaving generations of people to endure these difficult living conditions.

Overall, the shoebox apartments in Hong Kong highlight the extreme housing challenges faced by many city dwellers and bring attention to the urgent need for more affordable and suitable housing solutions.

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