10 most restricted places on the planet

Snake Island is a small island off the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean. Perhaps this is the most dangerous place on Earth. This is the only home for the critically endangered, venomous golden lancehead pit viper. The Brazilian Government closed the island for public visitation in order to protect both people and the snake population.

Mezhgorye is a closed town in Russia. As you may have guessed, not much is known about it. It's rumored to be home to two military battalions, a secret nuclear missile base and a massive underground facility.

Area 51 is often the subject of alien conspiracy theories. Many people believe it to be the location where the US government stores and hides alien bodies and UFOs. The area is marked out by orange posts and patrolled by guards in white pickup trucks and camouflage fatigues. The guards aren’t allowed to talk about their employers.

By the way, do you believe there is life out there?

The Principality of Sealand is a self-declared state. It claims Roughs Tower, an offshore platform in the North Sea, as its territory. Roughs Tower has been occupied by the family and associates of Paddy Roy Bates. He introduced a constitution for Sealand, followed by a national flag, a national anthem, a currency and passports. If you want to visit Sealand, you’ll have to get permission from its government.

North Sentinel is a small island, surrounded by a shallow reef. It is home to the Sentinelese. They have made it clear that they do not want contact as they kill any stranger. Indian authorities recognize the islanders' desire to be left alone. They prohibit travel to the island in order to prevent the resident tribespeople from contracting diseases to which they have no immunity.

Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky. It’s called the most secure vault on the planet. This is home to about half of the U.S. gold reserves. Fort Knox is surrounded by a steel fence and the building itself is made of concrete-lined granite and reinforced by steel. Good luck trying to get in.

Chernobyl is a partially abandoned city in Ukraine. The city was evacuated on 5 May 1986, 9 days after the nuclear accident at the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which was the most disastrous nuclear accident in history. Today, visits are allowed to Chernobyl but limited by strict rules. There are two general stores and a tourist hotel.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a long-term seed storage facility. The seedbank is 120 meters (390 ft) inside a sandstone mountain on Spitsbergen Island. This place was considered ideal because it lacked tectonic activity and had permafrost, which aids preservation. Access to Svalbard Global Seed Vault is restricted to essential personnel only.

Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France. Lascaux is famous for its Palaeolithic cave paintings. The drawings are the combined effort of many generations. The cave was closed to the public as carbon dioxide, heat and humidity produced by visitors could ruin the paintings.

The Ise Grand Shrine is the Shinto shrine that the Japanese adore as "Soul of Japan". The shrine buildings are made of solid cypress wood and use no nails but instead joined wood. Access is strictly limited. Tourists are not allowed beyond sight of the thatched roofs of the central structures, hidden behind four tall wooden fences.