10 PLACES GOOGLE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE

"The Hill" aka Elmira Correctional Facility

This maximum security prison in upstate New York is understandably blacked out... we guess. After the Attica Prison Riots and several incidents worldwide of uprisings and mass escapes, officials could be worried about a possible helicopter-led breakout.

Tantauco National Park in Chile

Why is this refuge for Endangered Species completely washed over on Google? Mashable, which seems to have discovered the strange censorship, doesn't have a clue.

Babylon, Iraq

While the surrounding area (including its surprisingly rich farmland) is visible, the city of Babylon, Iraq itself is all blurry. You can bet it has something to do with the insurgents there...

HAARP Site, Gakona, Alaska, USA

HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) is one of the most controversial operations currently active in the United States. The Gakona, AK site and its ionospheric testing is believed by some conspiracy theorists to be the cause of everything from floods to earthquakes, although the evidence of this is very minimal.

Volkel Airbase, Netherlands

It's pretty ridiculous how blatantly blurred this one is, but then again, WikiLeaks did publish a diplomatic cable that confirmed the presence of nuclear warheads at this base.

Indian Point Power Plant, New York, USA

Everyone from Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo to former Republican Congresswoman Sue Kelly has called for the Indian Point Power Plant to be shut down. On top of environmental concerns, the upstate New York structure is, according to experts in the energy field, not strong enough to withstand an earthquake like the one that recently devastated Japan.

Reims Airbase, France

Why is the Reims Airbase in France blocked out? 

North Korea

You've no doubt heard about this country, one of the members of the supposed "Axis of Evil," but few have ever visited. You won't see it on Google Maps, either, as the entire country exists in images but without highway markers, street names, or any other identifying details.

Mobil Oil Corporation, Buffalo, NY, USA

Some have criticized Mobil of Buffalo, NY for blurring their facilities, saying the oil corporation doesn't have much of a case for being a terrorist target (terrorists hate snow, you know.) On the other hand, we can't be sure what their reasoning is.

Unknown area, Russia

Another one that is so mysterious, no one has a clue what it is. One commenter on the website Siberian Light speculates it's either "a radar station or missile interceptor," while another notes that the image of the surrounding area appears to have been copy-pasted from another part of the country.