Explore Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on the island of Tristan da Cunha — the most remote human settlement in the world.
Brian Gratwicke/FlickrTristan da Cunha island, home of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the most remote settlement on Earth.
Traveling through the seemingly endless expanse that is the South Atlantic Ocean — 1,200 miles from the nearest inhabited island and 1,500 from the nearest continental land, South Africa — you’ll eventually come upon the crest of a small volcanic island.
Its emerald green landscape will be speckled by an assortment of homes and buildings, adding an unexpected drop of civilization to its otherwise lonely surroundings.
The island is Tristan da Cunha, and the community is Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, a testament to humanity’s resilience and survivability, and the most remote settlement on Earth.
How Do You Get To The Most Remote Settlement On Earth?
Brian Gratwicke/FlickrA tour group arrives at the island by boat.
The first question most people have when they hear about the remote settlement on Earth is simple: How do you get there?
First, it is important to note that Tristan Da Cunha is located 1,500 miles west of South Africa and 2,100 miles east of Argentina. The nearest inhabited settlement is Saint Helena, approximately 1,200 miles north.
It would take roughly four to six days to get to either Saint Helena or South Africa from the island. Coupled with its lack of an airport or landing strip, Tristan da Cunha is the most remote settlement on Earth.
Without the option to walk, drive, or fly, the only way to access the island is by boat. While there are no passenger ferries to the island, hopeful visitors can board fishing, mail, expedition, and research vessels that make regular trips.
"Trips to the most isolated community in the world need to be well planned. Many would-be visitors have sailed to Tristan, but failed to land," the island's official website reads.
Even if someone managed to get transportation to the island, they still need to receive permission to visit from the island's local government. Due to strict wildlife protections, tourism is tightly controlled.
Brian Gratwicke/FlickrA bus stop along the only road on the island.
After being granted access to the island, visitors are brought into the island's harbor on inflatable motor boats. In total, less than 30 tourists visit the island a year, making it one of the least visited places on Earth.
Europeans Discover The Island Of Tristan Da Cunha
michael clarke/FlickrThe west coast of Tristan da Cunha.
Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha originally discovered the archipelago of volcanic islands containing Tristan da Cunha (along with five other smaller, uninhabited islands), and promptly named the islands after himself.
Despite being explored several times throughout the 1600s by the Dutch, it wasn't until the early 1800s that American whaling vessels took an interest in the islands. A trio of American men attempted to establish a colony and trading station on the island, though the plan flopped after a fishing accident sent two of the men to the ocean's depths.
In 1816, the British seized Tristan da Cunha out of concern that the French might use the island to help free Napoleon, imprisoned over 1,200 miles north on the island of St. Helena. From there, the population began to flourish, whalers set up shop, and Tristan da Cunha started to look more and more like an actual civilization.
While things seemed to take off in spite of its remote location, life on Tristan da Cunha wasn't without its hardships. The population was inconsistent, with settlers coming and going with the tides. At one point, the island was home to a mere four families. Fewer and fewer ships stopped by for resupply and — with the decline of the whaling industry during the American Civil War — isolation began to take its toll on the island.
World Wars And The Era Of Troubles On The Atlantic Island
In the late 19th century, Tristan da Cunha endured further adversity. First, sailors committed insurance fraud by purposely beaching their ships on the island, and black rats began streaming out of the hulls' carcasses, negatively impacting the already scant agricultural prospects, as well as the local wildlife.
In 1867, Queen Victoria's son, Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, paid a visit to the island cluster and renamed it Edinburgh of the Seven Seas — though most locals never came to accept the name.
Neither did the island's residents accept defeat. The residents of Tristan da Cunha/Edinburgh of the Seven Seas instead became efficient hunters and gatherers, with eggs and meat from indigenous birds (albatrosses, penguins, and shearwaters, just to name a few) helping to supplement the lack of farming and trade, again proving the resilience of the island's people.
Ian Thorp/FlickrA striated caracara, a species only found on the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha.
Nevertheless, isolation on Tristan da Cunha hit its peak during World War I, when it was said that the island didn't receive a single letter over the course of ten years. After the Admiralty called off its yearly resupply voyage, Earth's most remote civilization had no contact with the outside world until the news of peace finally reached them in 1919.
Two decades later, when the outside world was once again at war, Tristan da Cunha knew little of the calamity beyond the horizon, although the Royal Navy did use the island as a weather and radio station for monitoring Nazi U-boats.
Its infrastructure gradually developed, eventually welcoming a school, a hospital, a canning factory, and a general store.
In 1961, Queen Mary's Peak, the volcano on Tristan da Cunha suddenly erupted. The island's 264 inhabitants evacuated by boat to a nearby island and were later discovered by a Dutch ship that took them to Cape Town, South Africa. Luckily, the island was safe for habitation and most residents had returned by 1963.
Every Day Life On Tristan Da Cunha
Spixey/FlickrA school on the island.
Today, Tristan da Cunha is home to 267 people and features a modern hospital — equipped with an operating theatre and dental facilities — and a grocery store. The sea's fickle nature still proves to be an issue when it comes to receiving regular shipments of supplies, however, so orders must be placed months in advance.
Not every aspect of the island is up to date, though; diesel generators sit between Edinburgh of the Seven Seas' cottages, as traditional electricity is not available.
Despite such burdens, life within the world's most remote settlement is simple and peaceful. Most islanders start their mornings tending to livestock, fishing, or working in the community's small agricultural plots. Others spend their days at the lobster processing plant, the island's primary economic driver, or assisting with government and administrative duties.
Spixey/FlickrResidents preparing lobster traps.
Free time is spent playing football on the village's only field, drinking tea at the local café, or organizing dances and music nights in the community hall. Islanders celebrate major British holidays alongside unique local traditions like "Sheep Sheering Day," and "Ratting Day," a day when residents work together to capture and eradicate invasive rodents.
The island is governed by a Chief Islander and a council of elected residents who meet regularly to make decisions affecting the settlement. Tristan da Cunha thrives on cooperation, with every resident playing a vital role in keeping their isolated home running smoothly.
Wildlife Protection And Scientific Endeavors On The Most Remote Island On Earth
Tristan da Cunha is home to a unique array of flora and fauna, much of which is found nowhere else on Earth. The island is home to the Tristan albatross, a massive bird with a wingspan reaching up to 11 feet. These rare birds spend most of their lives soaring over the South Atlantic, returning to the Tristan da Cunha to breed.
The island is also home to the Tristan rail, the world's smallest flightless bird, and rockhopper penguins.
Since the early 2000s, the island has also captured the attention of the scientific community. In 2001, the building of an infrasound station for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization's (CTBTO) International Monitoring System began on the island. This station was built to detect nuclear explosions around the world.
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization/FlickrThe infrasound station, located on an area of the island called "The Patches."
While many of the island's residents over the years opted to relocate to England to be able to experience the conveniences of "modern" life, most islanders are adamant about staying in the land they call home. Mankind may very well not be an island, but that doesn't mean life isn't better on one.
Next, check out the six most remote places on Earth and four tiny islands you'll never be able to visit.
