It may be a part of the UK, but this remote volcanic island is located approximately 6,000 miles from Britain, making it one of the most isolated British territories on Earth. Tristan da Cunha lies geographically closer to South Africa and is home to around 200 people.
Known as one of the remotest islands in the world, Tristan da Cunha is located in the archipelago of Saint Helena and Ascension and is a British Overseas Territory. The island holds just one settlement, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the most isolated town on Earth. To reach this untouched beauty, one has to take a six-day ship journey.
The island is named after Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha, who originally discovered the archipelago of volcanic islands that contains Tristan da Cunha (along with five other smaller, uninhabited islands) in 1506.
The Dutch made multiple voyages to the island group throughout the 17th century, while a French expedition conducted the first comprehensive survey of the archipelago in 1767.
However, it wasn’t until the early 1800s that American whaling ships turned their attention to Tristan da Cunha. Three American men attempted to establish a colony and trading post there, but their efforts failed after a tragic fishing accident claimed the lives of two of them.
In 1816, the British took control of Tristan da Cunha, fearing the French might use the island as a base to orchestrate Napoleon’s escape from Saint Helena, located 1,500 miles to the north. The initial garrison departed in November 1817, though a handful of men chose to remain.
Island council member James Glass had told World Day: “Living here means being part of something truly special. We are not just neighbours—we are family, relying on each other in ways the outside world has forgotten.”
Those living on the island work on an interesting model. Most of them do fishing and farming for a living. Their diet consists largely of potatoes, vegetables, and seafood, particularly the highly-prized Tristan rock lobster that provides the main income for the island through export.
There is no newspaper on Tristan da Cunha, and Conrad Glass, inspector of police, told Today: “There is local gossip which is much faster than the internet, but not always as accurate”.
“The island has two churches and one medical facility with a couple of permanent physicians and a visiting dentist,” he added. According to the island’s website, priests and some more specialised medical professionals may only visit for a few weeks or months at a time.
He said: “When there’s a landslide, an earthquake or, heaven forbid, a volcano, there will be a gong rung to inform the heads of each family. We do have emergency supplies and emergency buildings.”