What is the most remote inhabited settlement in the world? It can only be an island, obviously lost in the middle of the ocean. In particular, this is what it's all about Tristan da Cunha: a name that probably means very little to most people. The closest place where you can permanently find other people is over 2,000 km away, and contacts are also limited due to poor infrastructure. Let's find out a little more about this real hermitage.
Tristan da Cunha, a remote place
Geographically speaking, Tristan da Cunha is a small archipelago It lies in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, but is also the name by which the largest and only inhabited island is known. The others (Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Islands and Gough Island) are completely inhospitable areas and here nature has taken over. But let's go back to Tristan da Cunha: it is an active volcanic island with a rather mountainous profile, whose highest peak is the Queen Mary's Peak which is 2,000 meters above sea level.
The only flat area is where this is located City of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Capital of the archipelago, and here the just over 250 residents who live permanently on the island are concentrated. Its main characteristic is its distance from the rest of the world: the nearest inhabited settlement is the island of St. Helena, almost 2,400 km away. Instead, if we talk about the nearest continental city, we need to get to none other than Cape Townin South Africa: 2,800 km navigation.
Aside from distance, the main difficulty with connections is that Tristan da Cunha it has neither an airport nor a port. It can only be reached by sea, in 5-7 days sailing from South Africa, and in any case it is necessary to disembark offshore and then reach the coast by small fishing boats. Not to mention that in adverse weather conditions The island may remain completely inaccessible even for months. In short, we are actually facing the most remote inhabited place in the world.
The history and living conditions in Tristan da Cunha
The island was discovered in the early 16th century by Portuguese sailor Tristão da Cunha, which gave it its name – but without ever ending up there. The first expeditions did not take place until more than a century and a half later, but there was no real attempt to colonize the island until the 19th century, when the English sent about seventy people there. Only four of them decided to stay, including William Glass, who is considered the true founder of the settlement. Little by little, more courageous people joined the small town, and there are now just over 250 residents.
Life in Tristan da Cunha is certainly not easy: isolation is almost complete and most of the population continues to live Fishing, agriculture and livestock farming. However, there is everything you need, including a hospital, two churches, a school and a few meeting places. Curious: Immigration is prohibited on the island, but tourists are welcome – at least the brave few who are willing to take on the crossing – and there is the possibility of temporarily moving for work. Of course there is no shortage of problems. Away Scarcity of resources to achieve health: Scientists have identified a particular spread of genetic diseases, which is due to reproduction in an extremely limited environment of humans.