this is the Daran Gap the most dangerous area in the world located between the borders of Colombia and Panama Crossing this 100 km area means passing through the valley of death because of this area North America and South America are still not connected by any road or rail network in all of human history only seven attempts have been made to cross this entire area by car or Jeep despite being so dangerous for some people it is very important to Ross this area every year lots of people like thousands or even Millions from South American countries
especially Colombia Ecuador and Venezuela try to cross this Zone hoping for a better life in Central and North America in 2023 around 520,000 people more than double the number reported the year before according to new figures from the government of Panama tried to go to Mexico and then the United States by passing through the Daran Gap but sadly thousands of them lost their lives while making the journey nearly one in four people who made the treacherous journey across the Daran in 2023 with Children what makes this 100 km Zone the most dangerous area in the
entire planet despite having loads of money and Technology why hasn't anyone tried making a highway or rail network here let's find out the answer to this question in the 21st century we've got magnificent cities even in hot deserts why is it so difficult to build a road or rail in this small area well there are four reasons for that the first reason is the hazardous weather the Daran Gap is around 800 km above the equator which makes the temperature here quite hot the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the North and South also contribute to high
humidity levels this entire area is covered in dense forests and it rains for approximately 300 130 days out of 365 days per year this not only causes flash floods but also frequent landslides in the mountains as a result of the heavy rain and flooding construction is extremely difficult because concrete cement and asphalt all require hot and warm climates to dry now if you think that's tough the second most dangerous thing here is dangerous animals and insects in the rainforest you'll come across loads of risky creatures poisonous frog dogs aggressive snakes with Venom scorpions and spiders
all of them could cause a medical emergency for people but the real troublemakers in the Daran Gap are the countless mosquitoes and ticks they bring along a bunch of really serious sicknesses like malaria yellow fever and denu and then because there is no hospital no house nothing for miles and miles in this entire area if any of these things bite you your survival is almost impossible that's why most people who pass through here die of malaria D snake venom or drowning in the river but it is not that America and other countries can't build a
road here it will be expensive and difficult but not impossible so what is the reason that no attempt is made to build a road or rail here some countries do not want any road or rail network to be built here especially America and Panama back in the 19th century Panama was part of Colombia and because of the Daran Gap it was super hard for Colombia to control Panama the only way they could connect was through the sea this Gap made it tricky and Panama used this difficulty to push for independence from Colombia in the 20th
century the United States got really interested in Panama's quest for Independence in truth the United States was greatly interested in the Panama Canal and wanted to control it before the completion of the Panama Canal trading between eastern and western America was very difficult to reach America's Western or Eastern Coast All Ships had to travel all of South America the eastern and western coastlines of America were therefore disconnected and this artificial Canal was developed to solve the situation after the construction of the canal not only the trade ships of America but also its Navy could now
easily go from one side to the other in a few days at that time the concept was very important that whoever controlled the Panama Canal would control one of the world's most vital Maritime choke points Colombia at that time did not want to give control of the canal To America that is why America supported the independence movement in Panama and as a result Panama became an independent country in 1903 America was the first country to recognize Panama in return the Panamanian government gave America a permanent lease on all the land around the canal this entire
area remained under the control of the American government until 1999 then in 1999 control of the canal was returned to Panama even now this narrow passage is super important for America and other countries currently around 6% of all the world's sea trade goes through this point between South America and North America this canal links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans every year about 13,000 to 14,000 cargo ships go through this route most of the trade between East Asia and America happens on this path and that's why America and China use it the most similarly this is
the only way to connect the west coast of America to Europe Africa and the Middle East now returning to the Daran Gap it is situated between Colombia and Panama Colombia has been a victim of internal violence and instability for numerous years and its drug Mafia is well known throughout South America Colombia produces the vast majority of the world's cocaine which is then transported into Central and Northern America now in this situation if we build a road or rail network here there's a worry America is afraid that the Colombian drug Mafia might use it to get
to Panama that's not good because they could harm the Panama and it gets worse it would be super easy for them to smuggle drugs from here to Mexico and America that's why even if the Panamanian and Colombian governments want to make a train and Road system here the US won't let any changes happen in this area now let's talk about the final reason for not working on the Daran Gap to stop people from moving here without permission which is illegal immigration Latin America lags far behind North America in terms of economy politics and living standards
many South American countries face problems like corruption weak governance and political instability because of these issues millions of people want to leave their countries for a better life and for them America just a few miles away seems like the best choice in recent years America has tightened its immigration policies after which these people have only one solution left to enter America illegally but for this they have to risk their lives and cross this Daran Gap every year thousands of people choose to enter America through this Gap passing through Central America and then Mexico but the
biggest obstacle in this whole journey is only the Daran gap on this 10-day trip you've got to deal with dense malaria poisonous snakes landslides floods and even Bandits unfortunately despite all these dangers more and more people are crossing this Gap every year the reason well those who are hungry and poor don't really have another Choice it's a risky path and many folks don't make it for the ones who do they often end up facing some tough psychological challenges when you're hungry you might find yourself making choices you wouldn't normally make to avoid all those issues
and keep the poor people from making their way into America they are not building any roads or train tracks in the Daran Gap and who knows it might stay that way for a good while thank you for watching and see you next time
