5 Most Extreme Locations Where Humans Live in Various Countries

When choosing a place to live, we usually choose a place that is comfortable, easy to reach, and has adequate public facilities. But in life, sometimes we don't have a choice and have to accept what we have. Including the matter of choosing a place to live, believe it or not, in this world, there are people who choose to live and build their homes in places that are classified as extreme. And what is meant by extreme places here is not just a term, because there are people who actually build their houses on the edge of a cliff until the land is filled with lava.

Amazingly, they were able to make this extreme environment into a place that was at least "decent" to live in. This proves that humans have an extraordinary ability to adapt to even the most extreme environments. If you're curious about what the most extreme places inhabited by humans are, here's a little review...

1. Hanging Monastery, China

Hanging Monastery is a unique monastery located in Shanxi Province, China. This monastery in Datong city is attached to a cliff with a height of up to 75 meters from the ground. This historical building is estimated to have existed since 1,500 years ago and is the only monastery in China that has Buddhist, Thao, and Confucian-style architecture.

But why was this monastery built on a steep cliff with quite an extreme height? According to history, it is said that the location of this monastery in this unusual place was to protect the monastery building from heat and rain. The cliff behind the monastery functions as protection from weather changes and sunlight.

And even though it is considered extreme, this monastery is still inhabited by a group of monks and is a favorite tourist destination in China. Because of this, since 1982, the Chinese government has included the Hanging Monastery on the list of protected historical buildings. In 2010, this floating monastery was also included in Time magazine's 10 most extreme and dangerous buildings.

2. Calapan, Hawaii

Have you ever imagined living in a place surrounded by lava? It sounds terrible, right? But this is the terrible condition that we will see in a city called Kalapana in Hawaii. Since being hit by a large-scale volcanic eruption in 1986, this city is actually no longer suitable for habitation due to damage to existing facilities and infrastructure.

The Hawaiian government has even issued an official ban on inhabiting this area, but even so, there are still around 35 families who still choose to live in this ghost town. There is a lot of speculation about the decision of these 35 families to survive, such as because this is the land of their ancestors, and the craziest thing is because there is gold hidden in the land of Kalapana. Until now, the Kalapana area has been frequently affected by volcanic explosions; the last time this happened was at the beginning of May.

3. Meteora Monastery, Greece

When you first see this monastery in Greece, everyone will definitely feel amazed because it is located on a giant rock cliff. This monastery, called Meteora, is said to have been deliberately built on a steep rock cliff for reasons of safety and security for its residents. But how can a place that is classified as very dangerous actually maintain the safety and security of the people who inhabit it? The answer is, of course, possible because this monastery was deliberately designed like this to make it difficult for people with evil intentions to enter the monastery.

Just imagine its location on a steep, rocky cliff with very minimal road access and a height that can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Of course, only people with a lot of courage and understanding of the existing terrain can enter this monastery. However, the extreme location of this monastery also has its own obstacles, because if there is a natural disaster or changes to the contour of the land, the existing buildings will certainly be at risk. And throughout history, of the 24 monasteries that originally existed on rocky cliffs, now only 6 remain intact because the other 18 have been damaged due to natural changes.

4. Kandovan, Iran

Often nicknamed the "city of ants," Kandovan is a unique city in Iran. This city is characterized by several rock valleys, which are used as settlements by residents. We see that this rock edge is similar to an ant's nest, complete with visible holes around the cliff.

These holes themselves are actually caves that are used as homes by residents. What's amazing is that this structure has been around for 700 years. Isn't it spectacular? According to history, the unique settlement of Uni emerged during the Mongolian colonial era in Iran. Residents who had lost their place to live and were trying to escape then decided to build a cave house around a cliff to avoid the pursuit of the Mongol army. Nowadays, there are still some people who choose to live in Kandovan cave houses, but they don't imagine living like cavemen because these places are now equipped with electricity and even internet access.

5. Korowai Tree House, Indonesia

Having a tree house sounds like fun; building a small house on a shady tree will definitely be very comfortable for relaxing. But what if the tree house is at a height of around 50 meters? still brave; this is what we will see in West Papua. In the easternmost region of Indonesia, there is a tribe called Korawai that builds their houses on trees at fantastic heights. This tribe that inhabits the southeastern region of West Papua builds their houses quite extreme to avoid enemies from other tribes. With their house located on high ground, if another tribe attacks them, they will be able to repel them more quickly because they are on higher ground.

These are some of the most extreme places inhabited by humans. If we think about what these people are doing by building unusual homes, it might sound ridiculous. But in fact, they have quite reasonable reasons behind the extreme place they chose to build their residence.