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Galápagos Islands, Ecuador - Visited and studied by Charles Darwin on the second voyage of HMS Beagle, the Ecuadorian islands are characterized by a wide variety of endemic species.

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Galápagos Islands, Ecuador - Marine iguanas, giant tortoises, sea lions, penguins, and whales all call the islands home at various times during the year. 

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Namibia - The southern African nation is one of the least densely populated in the world.

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Namibia - It's home to a portion of the Namib Desert, where about a quarter of the world's cheetah population lives.

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Faroe Islands, Denmark - The archipelago located between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic consists of 18 major islands.

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Faroe Islands, Denmark - It's most easily identified by the grass-roofed cottages found throughout the island's unscathed landscape.

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Weddell Sea, Antarctica - Jonah Young, author of the book 'Southern Ocean: Oceanographer's Perspective,' has written that its berg-filled waters are "the most treacherous and dismal region on earth."

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Weddell Sea, Antarctica - The author has also said that scientists have deemed its waters the clearest of any sea.

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Jujuy Province, Argentina - Located in the northwesternmost region of Argentina at the border with Chile and Bolivia, Jujuy is characterized by high plains with peaks reaching 16,400 ft (5,000 m) that descend into the Grand Chaco, a hot and semi-arid lowland.

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Jujuy Province, Argentina - The difference in height and climate produces desert areas, including salt mines.

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Dallol, Ethiopia - This location in the country's Afar Region is possibly the hottest place on Earth, according to the BBC.

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Dallol, Ethiopia - This surreal landscape can be seen at the Dallol Volcano, which despite its name is a hydrothermal field located 157 ft (48 m) below sea level. Its dazzling colors are a result of a combination of mud, salt, iron, and halophile algae.

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Boreal forest, Canada - Also known as taiga, this biome that circles the Northern Hemisphere covers 60% of the country’s land area. Yet, it remains vastly undisturbed.

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Boreal forest, Canada - The region is home to about 13% of Canada's population. The locals are highly dependent on the forest for economic activities.

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Gangkhar Puensum, Bhutan -

This Himalayan nation in itself is a sparsely inhabited paradise. Now imagine how pristine its highest mountain might be! 

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Gangkhar Puensum, Bhutan -

At 24,835 ft (7,570 m), Gangkhar Puensum is possibly the world's highest unclimbed mountain, according to the BBC.

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Bohol, Philippines - Located in the country's Central Visayas region, the province is known for a number of unusual geological formations, particularly the Chocolate Hills (pictured).

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Bohol, Philippines - The process behind the formation of these more than 1,260 hills is still a mystery, but many scientists stand behind the theory that they are the result of coral deposits paired with the effects of rainwater and erosion.

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Skeleton Coast, Namibia - The Skeleton Coast is another Namibian location to make the list. Located on the country's northern coast, it was dubbed by Portuguese sailors as "The Gates of Hell" because of its harsh conditions, according to The Daily Beast.

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Skeleton Coast, Namibia - Similarly, the region's native Bushmen tribes still call it "the land God made in anger." 

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Palmyra Atoll, USA -

Part of the Northern Line Islands, this atoll is located south of Hawaii and is a territory overseen by the United States.

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Palmyra Atoll, USA -

The uninhabited land (aside from a handful of scientists and staff members) consists mainly of a reef, two shallow lagoons, and about 50 islets. It can't get much more pristine than that. 

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Mount Roraima, Venezuela - The highest of the Pakaraima range of tepui plateaus, Roraima defines the border between Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil.

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Mount Roraima, Venezuela - The mount, which is considered to be among the Earth's oldest geological formations, is also accessible to the experienced climbers or those willing to take a two-day hike up the mountain’s natural ramp-like path.

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Molokai, USA - This Hawaiian island is the closest you'll get to understanding what the Aloha State looked like prior to colonization.

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Molokai, USA - Nicknamed the "Friendly Isle," Molokai is the most rustic and the least populated of Hawaii's eight islands.

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Tsingy de Bemaraha, Madagascar - This national park located in the northwest region of Melaky is famous for its karstic plateaus, a terrain characterized by rocky ground and caves.

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Tsingy de Bemaraha, Madagascar - Stone Forest, as it's commonly known, is known for its rich biodiversity, boasting one of the world's most diverse wildlife, according to the BBC.

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Davit Gareja, Georgia - This ancient Orthodox monastery complex located at the border with Azerbaijan is comprised of about 15 monasteries, most of which long abandoned.

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Davit Gareja, Georgia -

Nestled on the semidesert slopes of Mount Gareja, the complex is a compilation of churches, chapels, refectories, and living quarters carved out of the solid rock.

See also: Would you hike the Pacific Crest Trail?

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