Majorca and Menorca, the UK and Ireland – there are plenty of islands close together across the world.
But no others have a time different quite like the Diomede Islands. The US-Russian border and the International Date Line divide the two tiny islands known as the Diomede Islands in the Bering Strait.
Because of the time difference, the islands are sometimes referred to as Yesterday Island and Tomorrow Island.
The two islands are incredibly close, and yet strangely far apart. The distance between the two is only 2.4 miles, so close that when the sea freezes over, you can walk between them.
It sounds fairly straightforward, no? Well this is where it gets interesting.
Because they are separated by the International Date Line, Big Diomede is 21 hours ahead of Little Diomede, which is where the name ‘The gateway to tomorrow’ comes from.
What this means is that if you travel from Little Diomede Island to Big Diomede Island, you’ll go from today to tomorrow, and If you travel in the opposite direction, you will go from tomorrow to today.
The little Diomede island belongs to the United States, and big Diomede island belongs to Russia.
This means that despite their proximity, they’re still divided by a political boundary.
A Channel of water also separates the two Islands – the Bering Strait. This channel of water was known as the ‘Ice Curtain’ during the Cold War, and the name sort of stuck.
The Iñupiat Eskimo’s are a group of Alaskan Natives who live in the northern and northwestern parts of the Arctic regions of Alaska.
They are a part of the Inuit culture, and lead a traditional lifestyle revolving around the sea ice.
The harsh environment and remote position of the Diomede Islands make life there extremely difficult.
The islanders’ daily lives are difficult due to harsh weather, restricted access to resources, and little economic prospects.
But they are incredibly resilient and resourceful, maintaining their communities and customs.
A significant portion of the Iñupiat’s diet is still derived from their well-known hunting and gathering methods.
They hunt marine mammals such as seals, walruses and whales, as well land mammals such as moose, caribou and reindeer.
The Iñupiat have inhabited the area for four thousand years, and are related to a larger group of people that span from Russia, across Alaska, through Northern Canada, up to Greenland.
The Islands were named after, “Saint Diomedes’, who was a Greek martyr.
As the name suggests, the Islands were spotted by the Danish navigator Vitus Bering on August 16, 1728, the day the Russian Orthodox Church commemorates the saint Diomedes.
Russian geodesist Mikhail Gvozdev established the islands’ latitude and longitude in 1732.
Little Diomede, also known as Krusenstern Island, was part of Alaska when it was purchased by the United States from Russia in 1867.
During the Cold War, the Diomede islands became a strategic location for the United States and the Soviet Union.
Russia used Big Diomede as a military base, making it off-limits to outsiders.
The island’s geography is one of the most interesting aspects of the land.
Little Diomede is only 2.8 square miles, whilst Big Diomede is 11.2 spare miles.
Both Islands are mountainous with the highest point on Little Diomede, reaching 494 metres, and Big Diomede reaching 1705 metres.
The harsh Arctic climate and rocky terrain makes it difficult for visitors to explore the islands, but those determined to see it through are rewarded with breathtaking scenery and a glimpse into a way of life that had remained largely unchanged for centuries.
These islands are some of the most remote and isolated places on Earth, accessible only by boat or plane.