FROM THE ROAD.
The five most famous prisons in the world
Prisons are one of the sad institutions on which, unfortunately, modern society is based. Removing individuals who are dangerous to the community, and enclosing them all together in one place for the purpose of surveillance and re-education, is one of the ways our ancestors found to ensure the safety of the population.
They remain places, albeit atrocious, that are nonetheless fascinating because of the peculiarity of their rules, the micro-world they inhabit, and also because of the many fictional works, films, books and many others, that have prisons as their main setting.
But which are the most famous prisons in the world? Among the largest, the most luxurious and the bloodiest, one can really find all possible and imaginable types.
The five most famous prisons in the world
Prisons are one of the sad institutions on which, unfortunately, modern society is based. Removing individuals who are dangerous to the community, and enclosing them all together in one place for the purpose of surveillance and re-education, is one of the ways our ancestors found to ensure the safety of the population. They remain places, albeit atrocious, that are nonetheless fascinating because of the peculiarity of their rules, the micro-world they inhabit, and also because of the many fictional works, films, books and many others, that have prisons as their main setting. But which are the most famous prisons in the world? Among the largest, the most luxurious and the bloodiest, one can really find all possible and imaginable types.
By Hanna Kosonen Geiran/Riksantikvaren - https://kulturminnebilder.ra.no/fotoweb/archives/5008-Kirke
Bastøy Prison Island (Norway)
This 'utopian' prison island can be regarded as the 'most luxurious prison in the world'. In fact, in this minimum-security prison, inmates do not suffer violence or harassment, but live a relatively quiet or normal life, spending time taking care of animals or working in the fields. They can also enjoy recreation, with tennis courts and football pitches.
Di Federal Bureau of Prisons - http://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/flm/, Pubblico dominio, htt
ADX-Florence Facility (USA)
This maximum-security prison currently houses over 340 inmates, and is considered the 'safest in the world', where prisoners are under 24-hour surveillance as extremely dangerous and antisocial individuals. It is located in Colorado, and some of the most notorious criminals in history have passed through its walls. Prisoners are also subjected to very harsh treatment, being in total isolation for as many as 23 hours a day.
By Downtowngal - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29614229
Los Angeles County Jail (USA)
This prison located in Los Angeles, California, is believed to be the "largest in the entire United States", with over 19,800 total inmates. Despite its size and fame, this prison has had problems due to the high number of inmates and numerous scandals. This seems hard to believe considering the almost 800 million dollars the State of California pays to prisons each year for its administration.
By mahmut bozaraslan - Mehttps://www.voaturkce.com/a/diyarbakir-cezaevinde-kalanlarin-talebi-muze-ol
Diyarbakir Prison (Turkey)
Diyarbakir Prison is infamous for the cruelty of its guards, making it the 'cruellest prison in the world'. With a distressing record of inhuman torture, this place was known by all Turks as an atrocious and dehumanising place. Fortunately, this prison is about to close for good and become a museum.
Di Kathleen T. Rhem - https://web.archive.org/web/20060222101151/http://www.defenselink.mil/home/fea
Guantanamo Bay (Cuba)
This prison is one of the most controversial in the world, created by the United States after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Much has been written about the alleged atrocious treatment to which prisoners are subjected. Numerous organisations have denounced the treatment of prisoners inside the prison, including the United Nations and Amnesty International.
Home page
03/10/2023
This is a list of the most populous cities in the world, defined based on 2018 United Nations estimates, official census estimates, and the 2021 "Demographia World Urban Areas" report.
"World Urbanization Prospects," a publication by theONU, defines the population of a real city as "the population living within the administrative boundaries of a city." For many of the metropolises, however, the metropolitan area is administratively distinct from the urban agglomeration proper. For this reason, ONU recent estimates distinguish three definitions of cities: cities proper, urban areas and metropolitan areas.
According to the definition of "city proper", based on administrative uniqueness, the Chinese city of Chongqing is the largest in the world.
According to the other two definitions, Tokyo, despite being divided into several administrative units, is the most populous "urban agglomeration" (i.e. the agglomeration without rural areas) in the world, while the Chinese city of Shanghai is the most populous "metropolitan city" (i.e. the area interconnected by common infrastructure and frequent transport).
The data in this gallery include the total population of agglomerations in their highest estimates, thus also including metropolitan areas.
Natural Events
26/09/2023
The melting of glaciers is one of the greatest dangers facing our world in the near future. Indeed, the pouring of immense amounts of fresh water into the ocean, combined with rising ocean levels, could lead to devastating consequences for our world.
Two studies, published in Nature and conducted by scientists of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Cornell University, used the Icefin robot to map the submerged part of Thwaites Glacier, the largest shelf in West Antarctica and called "The doomsday Glacier," with an area of 150 times Rome.
The data collected, unfortunately, do not reveal anything good. In fact, this huge glacier is reportedly melting much faster than expected, and the reason is not high air temperatures.