Catacombes de Paris – Paris, France. In 2004, Parisian police were assigned to do a training exercise in a previously uncharted part of the Catacombs of Paris beneath the Palais de Chaillot.
Entering the catacombs through a drain, officers first came across a sign that read “Building site, no access,” and a bit further in, a camera that actively recorded images of those who passed. As the officers approached the camera, a recording of dogs barking was triggered. The police descended deeper into the tunnels and discovered a 500-square-meter cavern with a fully equipped cinema. It included a giant cinema screen, projection equipment, chairs and a handful of films, from film noir classics to recent thrillers. Someone had turned this abandoned underground cavern into a secret amphitheater. Three days later, police returned with experts from the French Board of Electricity to try and figure out where the power was coming from. The 13 Most Remote Islands In The World. The tiny nation of Kiribati will soon be underwater — here's the plan to save its people. Kiribati, a tiny nation on a chain of 33 atolls and reef islands in the South Pacific, could be the first entire country eliminated by climate change.
As seas rise, the islands are increasingly inundated by high tides, and islanders believe the sea will swallow their lands in less than a generation. That has thrust former three-term president Anote Tong into the spotlight. Facing the reality of his country's rapid disappearance, Tong spent his presidency making practical preparations for the relocation Kiribati's 100,000 citizens out of their homeland to ensure that when it truly becomes unlivable they won't become refugees.
Lake Michigan is So Clear Right Now its Shipwrecks Are Visible From the Air. The Abandoned Fishing Village of Gouqi Island. In the mouth of the Yangtze River off the eastern coast of China, a small island holds a secret haven lost to the forces of time and nature—an abandoned fishing village swallowed by dense layers of ivy slowly creeping over every brick and path.
Houtou Wan Village is located on Gouqi Island, which belongs to a group of 394 islands known as the Shengsi Islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago. 30 Incredible Earth Pictures. 1.
The Blue Dragon by Steve Richards 2. The World's Six Most Beautiful Lakes. World’s Beautiful Lakes: Five-Flower Lake, China The pristine water of Wuhua Hai, or Five-Flower Lake, is the pride of Jiuzhaigon National Park in China.
The shallow lake glistens different shades of turquoise and its floor is littered with fallen ancient tree trunks. Wuhua Hai is one in the legendary 108 haizi, or multicolored lakes, in the national park that according to legend, were created after an ancient Goddess dropped a mirror that her lover had given her, smashing it into 108 pieces. Google Earth captures the odd, the strange and the ugly.
How many countries are there in the world? There are 195 countries in the world today.
This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine. Not in the list Not included in this total count of 195 countries are: Taiwan - the United Nations considers it represented by the People's Republic of China The Cook Islands and Niue, both states in free association with New Zealand which are members of several UN specialized agencies and have been recognized "full treaty-making capacity", but are neither member states nor non-member observer states. Dependencies (or dependent territories, dependent areas, dependencies) and Areas of Special Sovereignty (autonomous territories) Other countries recognized by the United Nations as not being self-governing.
The rare beauty found within Google street view. It is not often when browsing through Google street view that you come across anything of real beauty but Aaron Hobson has found some rather rare examples of what the Google car cam has caught while traveling around the world.
52 Places to Go in 2015. A revitalized city welcomes the world.
Sure, Italy is rich with romantic cities like Florence, Venice and Rome — but its most vibrant might just be Milan. And this is the year for tourists to explore its charms, as it hosts the 2015 World Expo. Twenty million visitors are expected to visit the city for the Expo, a mammoth event that runs from May through October and involves more than 130 participating nations and organizations sponsoring more than 60 pavilions. The Expo’s theme focuses on food, nutrition and sustainability practices — a fitting choice for a city steeped in Italian culinary traditions. Highlights will include the Future Food District, a space to explore technological advances affecting the global food chain, and the Lake Arena, an Expo centerpiece with a mirrorlike pond and fountain fed by water from the city’s canals.
36 Strange and Funny Google Street View Photos. We wanted to post these awesome Google Street View photos a long time ago, but somehow they got lost along the way.
Luckily, I found them while reading Twisted Sifter. We tried our best to find more cool examples of Google Street View images, however almost every source was pointing to Jon Rafman. Montreal based artist Jon Rafman isn’t the original photographer but instead he explores Google Street Views and takes screenshots of the most unusual and funny sights. Wildlife Overpasses Around The World: Working With Nature, Not Against. Rapid deforestation and excessive human intervention into wildlife habitat has lead to frequent straying of wild animals into human habitation.
Intrusion into wildlife habitat typically occurs due to illegal encroachment and also when roads, railroads, canals, electric power lines, and pipelines penetrate and divide wildlife habitat. Wild animals attempting to cross roads often find themselves in front of speeding vehicles. Road mortality has significantly impacted a number of prominent species in the United States and elsewhere, including white-tailed deer, Florida panthers, and black bears. According to a study made in 2005, nearly 1.5 million traffic accidents involving deer occur each year in the United States that cause an estimated $1.1 billion in vehicle damage.
In addition, species that are unable to migrate across roads to reach resources such as food, shelter and mates experiences reduced reproductive and survival rates. Wildlife overpass in Banff National Park. Marvel at the Magnificent Marble Caves. Can you imagine something happening that would endanger these exquisite azure caverns? It might if Chile continues with plans to build five hydro-power dams in Patagonia. Photo #7 by © Jorge Leon Cabello. Deadly lake turns animals into statues. (Images: Nick Brandt) The Pacific island that never was. For more than a decade it has featured on the world's maps. Viewed from Google Earth, Sandy Island appears as a dark, tantalising sliver, set amid the shimmering vastness of the Pacific Ocean. But when marine scientists arrived at the island in the Coral Sea off Australia they were in for something of a shock: it didn't exist.
Where there was supposed to be a sandy outcrop complete with palm trees, a few coconuts and maybe a turtle there was merely blue undulating water. The Australian scientists, led by Maria Seaton, a geologist at Sydney University, had embarked on a voyage to study plate tectonics. They spotted that the enigmatic island lay along their route. But there were several puzzling discrepancies: though the island appeared on the Google Earth map, there were no images of it.
Cave of the Crystals. Selenite "sword", 22.6×2.6×1.6 cm. Oklahoma school finds hidden time capsule. Little People's Village, Middlebury, Connecticut. Photo by Ray Bendici. Ashikaga Flower Park, Japan. The Japanese love flowers, and wisteria are among their favorites. 27 Surreal Places To Visit Before You Die. The Beauty of Kenya in 50 Tropical Photos. Cheval des Andes Polo Match in Argentina. The Land of Tulips. Tulip fields, wind turbines and canal, Holland. Photo by: Anna Paulowna. Abandoned on Everest. Amazing Collection of Beautiful Places and Spaces. Our planet is far more impressive than we could imagine. Club 33. Club 33 is a private club located in the heart of the New Orleans Square section of Disneyland. 50 Amazing Finds on Google Earth. Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program. It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and geographic information system (GIS) 3D globe.
Just like their data-rich Maps and Street View offerings, Google Earth is a treasure trove of oddities. You’ve no doubt already come across some interesting finds on Google Earth. Bonneville Salt Flats at Night. The Most Amazing Photographs of the World. Mahamuni Buddha Temple.
Condé Nast Traveler. Amazing Underwater River. Cenote Angelita in Mexico has a little-known phenomenon that would appear to be a diver's delight: an underwater river! These photos, taken by Anatoly Beloshchin 30 meters deep inside the cave, reveals clear salty water and a murky "river. " 36 Reasons Why Arizona Is The Best. Prabalgad Fort, India. The Subway in Zion National Park. Huge mirror of the world. 27 Surreal Places To Visit Before You Die. Glowing Cave in New Zealand. Aokigahara. Incredible Rainforest. Cave Reflection.
North Sentinel Island. Plitvice, a watery paradise in Croatia. The Most Unusual Beaches. The world's weirdest places to scuba dive. Photos That Will Make Your Stomach Drop. The Deepest Pool in the World. Too beautiful to be real? 16 surreal landscapes found on Earth.