Uninhabited, 20 mysterious islands are found all over the world

Paradise found?

Some people are intimate with each other. However, some brave people choose to live in some of the most remote places on the planet. The prize? There is plenty of space, a distinct culture and a breathtaking landscape that never gets old. The world’s most remote inhabited islands are revealed to us, from remote tropical atolls never seen by outsiders to historic subarctic locations.

Iriomote, Okinawa, Japan

The stunning subtropical island of Iriomote, which is 90% covered in dense rainforest, is located in the southernmost point of Japan. The 2,000 islanders are fiercely protective of the critically endangered Yamaneko wild cat species, which can be found in its vast forests. Beyond its dense vegetation, Iriomote is a paradise because of its azure reefs, which are excellent for snorkeling.

Easter Island, Chile

For centuries, explorers have been drawn to Easter Island because of its isolated location — it’s more than 2,500 miles/3,540 kilometers from the Chilean mainland — and the mysterious moi sculptures. A.D. The island, known as Rapa Nui, was the easternmost Polynesian city when Polynesian explorers first set foot on it in 800 AD. Why they started building on the Moai sculptures in the thirteenth century is unknown. Currently, around 5,000 people live in this isolated place.

pitcairn Island, United Kingdom Overseas Territory

Just 1,180 miles (1,900 km) west of Easter Island, Pitcairn is the island’s closest inhabited neighbor. On Pitcairn, a steep, wooded ridge is inhabited by only 40 people who live in isolated wooden houses. The mutineers who boarded the tragic HMS Bounty at Pitcairn in 1789, capturing the ship and their Polynesian companions, are the ancestors of a large number of people. Pitcairn is still only accessible by boat, but fear not—MV Silver Supporter, a chartered vessel that can ferry Pitcairn residents to Mangareva in French Polynesia in about 32 hours, is unusual in mutiny.

Norfolk Island, Australia

This small Australian island in the middle of the South Pacific is only three miles (5 km) wide and five miles (8 km) long, yet it contains remarkable information. It has an airport, a prison which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a golf course. About 2,000 people currently live on the island, but that wasn’t always the case. Many of their ancestors were originally from Pitcairn Island, where they were relocated by the British government in the 1850s due to lack of water and fish.

Little Andaman, India

The fourth largest of the Andaman Islands, Little Andaman is home to about 18,800 people and forms the center of the chain of islands that form the Andaman and Nicobar Islands group. The native Onge people speak a language they have no contact with, and the ferry from the main island takes six to eight hours. Tourists are not allowed in these reserves, although they are still free to explore other waterfalls, waves and elephant sanctuaries on the island.

Kerguelen, French Southern and Antarctic Lands

The approximately 300 islands that make up the French South and Antarctic Lands lie in the Southern Ocean and are covered by ice caps. Kerguelen, known as the “Desert Islands”, has seen human settlement since French geographers and scientists founded the island’s only city, Port-aux-France, in the 1950s. The community’s reservoir is named “Central Park Pond” and the main road is named “Route 66”. Approximately 100 residents have a sardonic sense of humor.

Saint Helena, British Overseas Territory

A direct flight from South Africa to St. Helena was only possible in 2018. Until then, the only method of travel to this point in the South Atlantic was by Royal Mail ship, and depending on the weather, the trip could take five or six days. Visitors can still see Longwood House, Napoleon’s residence in exile, where he died. There are about 6,000 islanders, or saints, but Jonathan, a giant tortoise imported from the Seychelles, believed to be 189 years old, is the oldest.

Tristan da Cunha, British Overseas Territory

The nearest settlement on Saint Helena, the capital of Tristan da Cunha, is about 1,510 miles (2,430 km) from Edinburgh on the Seven Seas, which bills itself as “the most isolated community in the world”. The South Atlantic island is home to only 240 people, with no hotels, restaurants or safe beaches. The main attraction is the hike to the summit of the active volcano at 6,765 feet (2,062 m) above sea level on Tristan.

Floreana, Galapágos Islands, Ecuador

The Galapagos is known for its unique biodiversity and is home to an abundance of Floreana (officially Santa Maria) sloth sea turtles and flamboyant flamingos. News of a $43 million pledge from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and a group of environmentalists to bring back native animals like the pink iguana and the Floreana mockingbird has drawn attention to the island’s endangered nature. The first “post office” in the Galapagos was at Floreana. Originally, letters were placed in wooden barrels with the intention that the next ship would pick them up. Now, about 120 people live there, continuing the practice.

Adak, Alaska, USA

Adak is the southernmost city in Alaska, despite significant wind-chill effects. Although the native Aleut people have lived on the island forever, the establishment of a US military post in the 20th century to keep an eye on neighboring Russia swelled the population to 6,000. During World War II and the Cold War, servicemen, women and their families built a small village on the island with a McDonald’s and a swimming pool.

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

The Fernando de Noronha Islands are located 340 miles (547 km) off the coast of Brazil and are recognized as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. It’s understandable why: Sandy beaches give way to shallows teeming with marine life, while sugar-shaped volcanic rocks rise steeply above the jungle. There are flights to the mainland and although there are around 3,100 residents, the number of visitors per day is strictly limited to 420, so plan your trip in advance and pay a fee.

Corvo, The Azores, Portugal

Corvo’s Portuguese name, which means “crow island”, is because it is home to a well-known sanctuary that is a haven for many migratory bird species. With only 430 people, the smallest island in the Azores is little more than a partially submerged caldera, but there’s a laid-back lifestyle that hasn’t affected life on the mainland. You can explore the island’s rich weaving and woodworking traditions, see the dry stone windmills, or get lost in the village’s winding cobblestone streets.

Foula, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

Few places in the UK can truly be considered isolated, but tiny Foula, which lies 20 miles (32 km) west of the main Shetland island, “mainland” certainly lives up to its moniker as “edge of the world”. Here, the calendar is also different. When Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, Foula continued to use the Julian calendar; As a result, the island is currently behind by 12 days. 35 people from Foula are waiting until January 13 to celebrate New Year’s Day, while the rest of Scotland basks in the heat of Hogmanay.

Socotra, Yemen

Socotra is the definition of a desert island and is located very close to the Horn of Africa. Not many trees grow here, but they are unique: the beautiful pink desert rose, the baobab and the dragon’s blood tree. Actually, 37% of plant life is different. The people of Socotra, whose population today is approximately 90,000, are credited with helping the environment survive through their livelihoods.

Annobón, Equatorial Guinea

Little known to the outside world, this island of about 5,000 inhabitants lies south of São Tomé and Príncipe. The name derives from the fact that Portuguese explorers first discovered anobone on New Year’s Day in 1475. Although Spanish is the official language of Equatorial Guinea, the people living in Anobon speak a type of Portuguese known as Creole because the island has been closed off from the mainland for so long and the language has not changed much.

Dahlak Kebir, Eritrea

Incredible diving can be found in the Red Sea, and much of it is available on Eritrea’s tranquil Dahlak Island. Underwater life abounds in the waterways, with everything from angelfish to sea turtles, dolphins and pearls. With 2,500 inhabitants, Dahlak Kebir is the largest island and has a long and fascinating history. Prehistoric water cisterns, 20th century shipwrecks and inscriptions from the Ottoman Empire are all visible to visitors.

Bear Island, Svalbard, Norway

Only four people live on Bear Island, halfway between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland. All of them are working at weather stations. It is surprising that rarely people visit this place because of its remarkable diagonally striated rocks and jagged sea stacks. Bear Island, which was first discovered in Svalbard by Dutch explorer Willem Barents, is the oldest settlement in the archipelago, having been built in 1822.

Ni’ihau, Hawaii, USA

The islands of Hawaii stretch about 1,500 miles (2,400 km) from north to south. The most remote part of the Aloha Kingdom is located in the north on Nihau, sometimes referred to as “Forbidden Island”. In exchange for protecting a traditional, self-sufficient lifestyle from foreign influence, the Sinclair family purchased the island from the King of Hawaii in the 1860s. With a population of 250, the island is off-limits to tourists as its ancestors still privately own it.

Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Island

Hawaii is a six-hour flight from Los Angeles, but Wake Island is far away. This atoll is located 4,600 miles (7,402 km) west of Los Angeles and 2,300 miles (3,700 km) west of Honolulu. Apart from a US military installation and research station, which employs approximately 100 people, the island is inhabited by very few people.

Mysterious islands, each cloaked in a unique cloak of mystery and charm, appear like pearls scattered across the vast expanse of our planet’s waters. These mysterious lands, found in the far corners of the Pacific, the frigid waters of the Arctic or the lush havens of the Caribbean, fascinate explorers and scholars with their mystery. Some, like the legendary Atlantis or the elusive Avalon, are shrouded in myth and legend, while others involve real mysteries, such as obscure ruins or unknown creatures. These islands, which are often remote and uninhabited, serve as reminders of how fascinating and wonderful the planet can still be, enticing us to learn more about the mysteries beyond the horizon.

READ | This Central American nation has a secret tropical island to keep the crowds at bay