#10 Robinson Crusoe Island.
Nearest Populus – Chile, 416 Miles Island Inhabitants – 843.
Whilst the classic novel is a work of fiction, like many stories, it is rooted in truth.
That truth doesn’t reveal the location or depiction of this island though.
Per Daniel Defoe, his island is located in the Caribbean and populated with cannibals.
The real Robinson Crusoe island is in the south Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Chile.
It is populated with around 800 people who survive mostly on lobster, fishing, and tourism.
No cannibals here thanks.
It now stands as a stunningly beautiful and bustling hub, a far cry from Alexander Selkirk’s
recollection of the island, who was the sailor stranded there back in 1704, whose story went
on to inspire the book behind the island’s name.
He went 4 years living like ‘Chuck Noland’ on the uninhabited island – presumably without
a ‘Wilson’.
Eventually, Alexander was rescued by a passing ship.
Having survived of a diet of mostly fish, berries, and wild goats.
Not quite a tropical paradise, the weather here is frequently misty, and temperatures
can drop as low as 45 Fahrenheit.
The island was hit by a devastating tsunami and earthquake in 2010, which killed 16 people
and destroyed homes, and swept the only school on the island out to sea.
Thankfully, after a long rebuilding process, the village is now back on its feet.
#9 Floreana Island.
Nearest Populus – Ecuador, 563 Miles Island Inhabitants – 140.
This island, like many in the Galapagos, was born out of a volcanic eruption.
A 67 square mile landmass was left.
The island is mostly flat, except for the eruption site which stands a proud 2100 feet
tall.
Now named after the first president of Ecuador, Juan Jose Flores, it was previously called
Charles Island (That’s the 2nd, not Darwin) and Santa Maria, for one of Columbus’ ships.
This former volcano has more than one fiery story in its history.
19th-century whalers would pass by the island and deposit letters at Post Office Bay for
later collection.
This was until 1820 when one clumsy American, named Thomas Chappel, started a fire while
performing a prank.
But, it being the dry season, no one laughed.
The fire burned so ferociously that it was visible on the horizon for 36 hours.
Fast-forward 100 years and the island's first residents arrived.
Their population stands at approximately 140 and includes descendants of the first settlers.
There is one boat that docks every 2 weeks to transport supplies and perhaps visitors.
There is a small hotel, housing the only telephone on the island, a school, but no pub.
#8 Raoul Island.
Nearest Populus – New Zealand, 680 Miles Island Inhabitants – 4 to 15.
Raoul Island stands over 500 meters above sea level and is a biodiversity hotspot, as
well as a literal hotspot.
In 2006, a team of scientists was on the island when a volcanic eruption, lasting 40 seconds,
blasted 200 tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, one of the scientists, Mark Kearneys, got caught in the blast and died;
his body was never recovered.
Other DoC workers continue his legacy, and around 15 ‘Raoul Rangers’ worked tirelessly
to preserve the unique flora and fauna, some staying for over a year at a time.
Department of Conservation officers have been stationed on this island since 1937, but prior
to that, the last family had been evacuated by the kiwi government in 1914.
Raoul is 680 miles off the northeast of New Zealand and is part of the country’s largest
marine reserve.
Along with rough seas, there are plenty of earthquakes as Raoul is located near two active
tectonic plates, making this one tough place to live.
#7 Southern Thule.
Nearest Populus – The Falklands, 1000 Miles Island Inhabitants – None, anymore.
This collection of islands has been claimed by the British since 1908.
There they remained, empty but claimed for nearly 70 years.
These frozen wastelands are baron and windswept, located close to Antarctica.
In 1976, the Argentinian army snuck over to the island and managed to construct a base
that included barracks, radio and weather stations, and a helicopter pad before the
Brits caught on.
They inhabited Southern Thule to make a claim at the Sandwich Islands.
Political negotiations and military shows of strength went on in secret; it was over
a year before the occupation was leaked to the public.
Almost 6 years after building a camp on Southern Thule, the Argentinians invaded the British-run
Falkland Islands in April of 1982, wanting to enforce their claim.
This started a war that ended in significantly higher losses on the Argentinian side.
Ultimately, after a 10-week conflict, the invading army was forced out of the Falklands
and then Southern Thule.
Seriously, what did they think was gonna happen?
#6 Pitcairn Island.
Nearest Populus – Tahiti, 1317 Miles Island Inhabitants – 47.
This southern Pacific island still holds onto the legacy of the men to first inhabit it.
Pitcairn Island was the remote home of a crew of British mutineers who landed there in 1789,
led by Fletcher Christian.
He, along with 8 former British sailors and 18 Tahitians settled on Pitcairn, who later
burned the HMS Bounty and lay namesake to Bounty Bay.
It was 25 years before the British arrived, and by this point, the only remaining adult
male was John Adams who was accompanied by 30 women and children.
He said most of the other men fell to alcoholism, disease, or in some cases, murder.
Their names live on to this day, with many of the residents here still carrying the surnames;
Christian, Adams, Young, and Quintal.
Modern life on Pitcairn isn’t so dangerous.
This warm climate has a wet season through summer and winters are usually pretty dry-
staying between 65 to 95 Fahrenheit year-round.
Mr. T, or Mr. Turpen to you, is the sole survivor of the Galapagos giant tortoises brought to
Pitcairn by American Sailor, Irving Johnson, before the 1950s.
Mr. T now has a protection order in his name and can be, more often than not, found chilling
at the Western Harbour.
As excitingly, the island's only electrician turned 67 years old in 2020.
#5.
Ile de la Possession Nearest Populous – Madagascar, 1472 Miles
Island Inhabitants – 20 Maximum.
Ile de la Possession is the largest of the Crozet Archipelago and only one of the 20
islands to be inhabited.
Its name in English, Possession Island, it is part of the French Southern and Antarctic
lands located in the Indian ocean.
It’s just shy of 60 square miles and features landscapes of harsh mountains and large glacial
valleys while black volcanic sand beaches host fur and elephant seals.
The surrounding waters regularly drop to nearly freezing, and home to a pod of around 80 killer
whales.
There’s also an abundance of bird species on the island, including Macaroni penguins
and a variety of albatrosses.
This is a hugely vital island for seabird nesting and migration, and explains why the
island is now inhabited by a crack research team.
The Alfred Faure research station, located at the eastern end of the island, is manned
365 days a year.
#4 Niue.
Nearest Populous – New Zealand, 1500 Miles Island Inhabitants – 1600.
Niue, located in the South Pacific, is somewhat unique in that it is a self-governing state
in free association with New Zealand.
Existing as such since 1974, they fly their own flag and have a national seal, and they
do not use the New Zealand currency.
It is an island of mostly Polynesian descent, but as part of the Realm of New Zealand, Niuean
citizens take Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state, in her role of Queen of New
Zealand.
The “Rock of Polynesia”, as it’s sometimes known, is one of the world’s largest coral
islands.
It is divided into 14 villages, with each community electing a chairperson, who in turn
meet for Parliament.
Now considered a ‘civilized’ country, this was not the first impression of Captain
James Cook, who was reportedly denied permission to land on 3 occasions in 1774.
19th-century missionaries eventually forced their ways onto the island and left their
influence.
There is state-funded wifi, free laptops for students, and 30% of the population can speak
both English and Niuean.
#3 Tristan da Cunha.
Nearest Populous – South Africa, 1743 Miles Island Inhabitants – 266.
Tristan Da Cunha is a British overseas territory whose capital owns the title of the “most
remote permanent settlement on Earth.”
It’s less than 38miles square and is the only inhabited island of this remote archipelago.
With no airport let alone landing strip, the only way to access Tristan da Cunha is via
a 6-day boat ride, west across the open ocean from South Africa.
It seems appropriate for this to be a British territory as the climate is quite similar.
Consistent moderate to heavy rainfall and persistent winds, and mild temperatures.
Perhaps that’s what inspired the name of “The Settlement” – Edinburgh of the
Seven Seas…
Locals often work in the fishing industry, and there sits a large crawfish factory at
the harbor.
The town features 2 churches, 1 school, 1 hospital, and 1 bar – the Albatross Bar.
For any tourists willing to brave the long trip, there are several museums on the island.
This small but tight-knit community has an impressive fleet of 3 emergency response vehicles:
1 ambulance, 1 fire truck, and 1 police car, all of which are just modified 4x4 trucks.
A volcanic eruption in 1961 forced the entire population to evacuate some 6000 miles to
Calshot, Hampshire.
Not only were these families uprooted for 2 years before the volcano was declared safe
again, but the original crayfish factory was destroyed by lava.
#2 Easter Island.
Nearest Populus – Chile, 2182 Miles Island Inhabitants – 7750.
Almost certainly the most famous remote island, but it is not quite the farthest away.
Like Crusoe Island, Easter Island is part of Chilean territory.
The people here are still known for being stone-faced and their rather large heads.
Somewhere between 900 and 1000 of these statues exist on Easter Island.
They were built by the original Polynesian inhabitants of the island around 3000 years
ago.
On average these statues stand 13 feet tall and weigh about 14 tons or the same as 28
grand pianos.
The giant figures are carved from a single piece of rock; most are made from Tuff – a
type of rock ejected as ash, that becomes solid once settled.
Too far south for a tropical climate, it is no less visually stunning.
Steep coastal cliffs and deep rocky caves, all surround rolling green hills.
The first settlers here, of Polynesian origin, were mostly wiped out by colonization.
Named after Easter Sunday, the day it was “discovered” by a Dutch explorer in 1722.
These days about 50% of the inhabitants still identify with their Rapu Nui ancestors.
Most of the work here is either tourism or conservation-based.
Although with the driving wind and rain some of the statues are slowly returning to slabs
of stone.
#1 Amsterdam Island.
Nearest Populus – Africa, 2500 Miles Island Inhabitants – 25 humans.
This French island, which is named after a Dutch city, but sits in the Indian Ocean might
appear to be having an identity crisis, but it is number 1 on our list.
It is roughly equidistant to Madagascar, Australia, and Antarctica.
Amsterdam island itself is only 6 x 4.5 miles and has an average climate of 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Despite that sounding inhospitable, in 1871 a small group of French settlers tried to
grow crops and farm cattle.
They abandoned this plan after a few months but left the cattle.
Those 5 cattle went on to number over 2000.
So, who would be crazy enough to live here?
Research scientists of course.
The French built a weather station there in the '80s and it has been manned since.
Thanks for watching!
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