There are lots of great places to visit around the world but some spots are more dangerous than others.
Some cities you should probably just avoid altogether and the following list explains why you might want to avoid travel to these locations:
Mogadishu, Somalia
Somalia isn’t on the top of the list of “must visit’ locales for most people and for good reason.
Many governments warn their citizens about visiting this African country because it remains an extremely volatile region and threats of terrorism, ethnic fighting, kidnapping, and even pirates!
If you’re looking for a dangerous city then Mogadishu seems to have it all.
Caracas, Venezuela
This South American city was referred to by Foreign Policy magazine as, “the murder capital of the world.”
Caracas has 130 killings for ever 100,000 residents, which might not seem like a lot but when you think about the number of family and friends that those death effects then the number if quite staggering.
In December of 2008 there were 510 people killed in the capital alone, according to a CNN report. Poverty, gang warfare, and drugs are rampant among some of the city’s inhabitants.
Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Mexico is a tourist hotspot but Ciudad Juárez might not be the best place to visit if you’re planning a trip to this country in the near future. It may have the sun but it is also facing a serious problem of kidnapping, robbery, sexual assaults and drug crimes.
Ciudad Juárez is located across the U.S and Mexican border and is home to 1.5 million people.
Detroit, USA
If you’re in need of great musical history or great hockey then this city has you covered. If you’re looking for automotive industry jobs then Detroit might not be your city.
In 2009, the Motor City was number one on Forbes magazines’ list of America’s most dangerous cities. This was calculated using statistics from FBI crime reports, which said that there were 1,200 violent crimes per 100,000 in Detroit. Not as dangerous Somalia but it’s still not exactly Disneyland.
Baghdad, Iraq
I suppose Baghdad isn’t exactly a tourist destination but many people still head to the Iraqi capital every year. According to a Mercer’s report on the quality of living around the world, Baghdad is the least safe city to live in. This was based on the quality of law enforcement, personal safety, crime rates, and the countries relationship with other countries.
There you have it: five cities that have been torn apart by war, poverty, and violence. It doesn’t mean that visiting these cities will guarantee the fact that you could be physically harmed. It just means that the chances of something happening have been at a high rate for the last few years. Stay safe and hopefully your next travel destination is great one.
Creative commons photos available here:
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