Documentary about Tristan da Cunha. Tristan da Cunha: the most remote archipelago on the globe. Tourism in Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world. The nearest land - the island of St. Helena - is more than 2 thousand kilometers, and the nearest coast of the African continent is more than 2,700 kilometers. 272 people permanently live on the island. the only island archipelago with a permanent population.

Tristan da Cunha is an archipelago in the southern part Atlantic Ocean, part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena. Along with Easter Island, it is one of the most remote populated areas on the ground. Located 2816 km from South Africa, 3360 km from South America and 2161 km south of St. Helena.

Tristan da Cunha is a group of small volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, part of the British dependency of St. Helena. The islands are located within latitude 37°6' south and longitude 12°1' west. total area islands - approximately 202 sq. km. On Tristan da Cunha, the largest (98 sq. km) and the only inhabited island of the entire group (population in 1988 - 313 people), at an altitude of 2060 m there is a volcano that was silent until 1961, when the its eruption. Most of the island's inhabitants are descendants of British soldiers who were stationed on Tristan da Cunha during Napoleon's imprisonment on St. Helena, while some residents are descendants of whaling ship sailors who once settled on the islands. The inhabitants of the islands are engaged agriculture, fishing and livestock farming. Since 1942, the island has housed a British radio and weather station. Before 1948, there was no organized form of government on the islands. In 1950, the first Governor of St. Helena was appointed, and in 1952 general elections to the Island Council were held. Other islands in this group: Gough, Inaccessible (Inaccessible) and Nightingale (Nightingale). The islands were discovered in 1506 by Portuguese sailors under the leadership of Admiral Tristro Cunha and were annexed by Britain in 1816. During the volcanic eruption in 1961, all residents of the islands were evacuated, but later, in 1963, they returned to their native places.

Tristan Da Canha is home to a population of 270 very isolated people, with an economy based in the fishing industry. The climate of the islands is temperate oceanic, rainy and windy. On Gough Island the average monthly temperature ranges from +9°C to 14.5°C, on the northern islands - from +11°C to 17.5°C. Annual precipitation ranges from 2000 mm in the north to 2500 mm on Gough Island.

Islanders often find themselves hostage to Atlantic storms: wind gusts of almost 190 km per hour were once so strong that they lifted cows and sheep into the air, and they fell into the ocean and died there...

The island of Tristan da Cunha is the only island in the archipelago with a permanent population. The main settlement of the island is Edinburgh of the Seven Seas in the northwestern part of the island. Other settlements are temporary and are scientific bases and meteorological stations. The population of the island is about 300 people. Tristan da Cunha is an island of volcanic origin that appeared about a million years ago. The island is located highest point archipelago - Queen Mary (Queen Mary) peak, 2055 meters above sea level. In winter, the top of the mountain is covered with snow. Queen Mary is a volcano that has erupted several times since the island's discovery. The island of Tristan da Cunha has a rocky coast and mountainous terrain, there are numerous ravines that local residents called "gorges" ("gulches"). The only territory of the island suitable for permanent human life is the northern and northwestern part. You can also land there from the sea without much risk.

And this is the “breakfast” of the inhabitants of this island - Genuine Tristan Lobster Tails - they say it is very tasty!

The island now has a mini market, radio station, cafe, video store and swimming pool. Tristan is connected to the world by one telephone and fax in the Manager's Department, and is visited once a year by the only mail ship in the world. This ship brings not only mail, but also canned food, videos, books and magazines, and medicines.

The island is inhabited not only by people, but also by an albatross chick:

And also penguins:

Some more photos of the inhabitants of this remote island

In continuation, read also about the wildest places on Earth, which also includes the island of Tristan da Cunha.

How bizarrely the fate of a person, a city, a country sometimes unfolds. Now, it would seem, who would think of settling on a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where the temperature rarely rises above 20 degrees, and of all the attractions there is only a volcano, which occupies the lion's share of the already small territory? Come on: in all encyclopedias, the island of Tristan da Cunha is listed as the most remote inhabited place on the planet. As many as 269 people live here - and all of them are, to one degree or another, related to each other...
Holiday Island
Strictly speaking, in 1506, the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha saw the entire archipelago through his telescope. And since he couldn’t land on it, he simply gave his name to himself big island from a group that also included the islands of Gough, Nightingale and Inaccessible. All of them are havens for seals, crested penguins and yellow-billed albatrosses, and Inaccessible is also the abode of the Tristan rail, the smallest flightless bird on Earth. And for this reason, it is especially often visited by scientific expeditions. The main concern of scientists is to preserve the shepherdess for future generations. These birds have few natural enemies, and besides, they have long learned to hide from birds of prey in the bushes. But the unnatural - in the form of rats - can easily penetrate Inaccessible from Tristan da Cunha and put an end to all the endemic splendor. It must be said that until Tristan da Cunha was inhabited by people, there were neither pasyuks nor mice there. These eternal companions of sailors arrived on the island along with its first inhabitant - the extravagant American Jonathan Lambert, who landed here in January 1811 and appointed himself ruler of the “Island of Leisure”. But, apparently, with independent rest things didn’t work out very well for him, otherwise why would he agree to the protectorate of England, kindly offered by the English governor of the Cape Good Hope? This is how the British flag flew over Tristan for the first time. Then events developed even more interestingly: in 1815, the British settled Napoleon on the island of St. Helena, an equally inhospitable piece of land located 2161 km north of Tristan. And they decided to place a garrison on Tristan da Cunha in order to cut off the possible sea escape routes of the disgraced emperor. The island was finally annexed and became part of the British metropolis.
Nine surnames
In 1821, Napoleon died and the garrison was returned to the Cape of Good Hope. It was a joyful day for most of the soldiers: they were damn tired of sitting on an island lost in the ocean, from which the mainland is almost 3,000 km by water. However, among them there were eccentrics who decided to choose Tristan da Cunha as their home. It’s hard to say what exactly they liked here so much. But the fact remains a fact. Every year there were more and more people here.
All of today's settlers are descendants of those eccentrics who settled the island in the 19th century. There are only nine surnames here - and they all became related to each other a long time ago. The Glass family is considered the oldest on the island - immigrants from the United States have lived on the island since 1816. The British Swain settled here in 1826. The Greens from Holland and the Rogers from the USA became islanders in 1836. Hagans from the USA settled on Tristan da Cunha in 1849, and two Italian surnames - Repetto and Lavarello - ended up here in 1892. There are also Collins and Squibb: both are descendants of the same English soldiers who once guarded Napoleon... It is noteworthy that these warriors chose their wives among the locals - African women from Cape Town and St. Helena Island. Two more brave Irish women arrived here after their chosen ones. And off we go. Now European-African blood flows in the veins of the entire population of Tristan da Cunha. And 42% of the population suffers from asthma to one degree or another: all thanks to the notorious common ancestors who gave the disease to their offspring. However, asthma does not prevent Tristan residents from feeling happy. Moreover, when almost every second person has it, this is a kind of variant of the norm.
Home Sweet Home
The caring metropolis did not forget its sons and daughters and repeatedly invited them to move to the mainland. And once the Duke of Edinburgh even visited the islanders with the same proposal. But the Collinses and Rogers turned him down too. And to sweeten the pill, they named their settlement, which had previously been simply called the Settlement, in honor of the Duke - Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. Now this beautiful name appears on all maps and atlases of the Earth. As for the islanders, after seeing off the important guest, they returned to their ordinary life, especially since it required daily labor: after all, the Tristanians were stuck in the 19th century. Until 1961, nothing here reminded us that this was the century of scientific and technological progress. No electricity or cars. In order to build a house, representatives of all nine families gathered. Stone boulders were broken out by hand, manually adjusted to each other, and sheaves of New Zealand flax, once brought here, were placed on the roof. Together they worked the land, which was communally owned, and fished together. News from Mainland the Tristanians received only from whalers, who sometimes came here to replenish water... And everything completely suited everyone. But in 1961, the volcano, whose activity once gave birth to Tristan da Cunha, decided to wake up. Queen Mary Peak began to erupt...

Fresh blood
Great Britain, of course, did not abandon its subjects: all representatives of nine families were taken out of the danger zone. So the Tristanians made two trips at once in one: firstly, they ended up in England, and secondly - in the 20th century! They could not even imagine how far progress had come! For 2 whole years - while the volcano raged - they enjoyed modern household amenities. And when the time came to return home, they decided that it was time to end with Victorian England on a separate territory. So Tristan da Cunha entered into new era its existence - with cars and electric generators. Amazingly, almost all the Tristanians showed a desire to return home, and some also took new wives and husbands with them. This influx of fresh blood diluted the genetic monotony of the islanders, which once again proved the truth of the saying: “If there was no happiness, but misfortune would help.”
Deep relatives
Today, 269 people live in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas - that's 80 families. Each of them has their own home. But, in addition to residential buildings, there is a two-story residence of the main islander, elected every few years. He is helped to govern the island by 11 council members, among whom there is always at least one woman. There are also two churches on Tristan da Cunha - Anglican and Catholic, as well as a hospital, school, supermarket and even a police station staffed by one person. In truth, he has nothing to do alone: there is no crime on the island as such. Being related to each other by relatives in one tribe or another, the inhabitants of the island are accustomed to deciding everything controversial issues like a family. So the servant of the law simply has nothing to interfere with. That's why it gets very animated when a ship from Cape Town arrives at Tristan da Cunha and crew members and tourists come ashore. Everyone needs to be checked. For example, make sure that visitors have brought certificates of no criminal record. This is a must. Without it, visiting Tristan da Cunha may be denied. True, due to the peculiarities of the terrain, currents and winds prevailing here, there are only nine such flights a year. The rest of the time, the Tristanians are cut off from the mainland. Which they seem to be very happy about. Yes, compared to the mainland English, they live modestly, even poorly. But it’s very friendly: in terms of social equality, no one can compare with Tristan da Cunha. And what kind of lobsters are found here! Is it true, weather They allow you to catch them only 70 days a year, but this is enough to eat your fill and earn money for the rest of the year. A dream, not a job!

Illustration copyright NASA Image caption The area of Tristan da Cunha is 98 square kilometers, but most of these kilometers are occupied by the steep slopes of the volcano

What do the collective farm, Napoleon Bonaparte and the Royal Institute of British Architects have in common?

Island of Tristan da Cunha.

This island is unique. British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. The most isolated settlement on Earth. The nearest inhabited island (St. Helena) is 2 thousand kilometers of open ocean.

Illustration copyright RIBA Image caption All land on Tristan da Cunha is jointly owned by the islanders

Why Napoleon? Because the island was annexed by Britain in 1816 to prevent the French from helping Napoleon escape from exile on the "neighboring" island of St. Helena.

Why collective farm? Because when Great Britain stopped being afraid of French conspiracies and withdrew its troops from the island, some people decided to stay there. And, according to the principles established by the colony's founder, William Glass, in 1817, all land on the island is owned jointly by the islanders.

Illustration copyright Getty Image caption Until the end of the 60s, houses on Tristan da Cunha looked like this

Local residents grow potatoes and raise sheep, the number of which is strictly controlled by the entire community, so that, God forbid, the sheep do not eat all the grass, or the owners of the sheep do not get too rich. When the weather permits, people go out to sea to fish. In addition, all residents, to the extent of their physical abilities, participate in community service– renovating a government building, or laying a “road”.

Why British architects? Because the islanders and their local government asked the Royal Institute of British Architects to help them reorganize all the local architecture and infrastructure so that the island would be even more self-sufficient than it is today.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Tristan da Cunha has neither port nor airport

The population of the island is about 280 people. All of them are descendants of the first settlers who arrived here 200 years ago from England, Holland and Italy. The island's inhabitants have only seven surnames - Glass, Green, Hagan, Lavarello, Repetto, Rogers and Swain.

Tristanians speak a dialect in English, close to the dialect of the north of England at the beginning of the 19th century.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Among other things, Tristan da Cunha receives income from the sale of stamps. There are more penguins on the island than people

Since the entire island belongs to the community as a whole, outsiders are prohibited from settling there. Britain sends a teacher and sometimes a policeman to the island - but only for three years, and these migrants are not considered members of the community and have no right to work the land, raise sheep or go to sea to fish.

The only connection with the outside world is the very slow Internet, which appeared there only a few years ago, and a ship that calls here about once a month, depending on the weather, from Cape Town.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Tristan da Cunha has its own flag and its own government

There is no port on the island, as a result, when the ship does arrive from Cape Town, the entire adult population drops their business, gets into boats, and goes to receive the cargo.

This is what prompted the islanders to turn to architects for help in order to create a more independent economy and infrastructure - they are too dependent on imported diesel fuel and want to switch to renewable energy sources.

Illustration copyright Thierry Assef Image caption The capital of the island, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, is called "the village" by locals.

All the islanders live in the only one on the island locality, which is also the capital of Tristan da Cunha. No other capital in the world has a more romantic name - Edinburgh of the Seven Seas (although locals simply call it “The Settlement”).

The island is governed by the governor of St. Helena, who sends an administrator to Tristan da Cunha every three years. He, in turn, relies on the local “parliament” - a council of five people. The leader of the "parliament" is not officially called the Prime Minister, but the Chief Islander.

Illustration copyright Getty Image caption This is what the "supermarket" looks like in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

Tristan da Cunha represents the tip active volcano, protruding above sea level. The island's area is 98 square kilometers, but most of these kilometers are occupied by the steep slopes of the volcano.

It would seem - who would want to stay on a tiny island, almost completely cut off from the rest of the world, where all people are related to each other?

Image caption Fishing is one of the main local industries

But, as it turned out, almost everything.

In 1961, the Tristan da Cunha volcano began to erupt, and the British government evacuated the entire local population to England. Everyone who heard at least something about the living conditions on the island was convinced that, having tasted the benefits of real civilization, the islanders would remain in England.

Illustration copyright Getty Image caption Evacuation of residents of Tristan da Cunha

But it was not there. Evacuation and life in a foreign land among people who did not understand the idea of joint collective farming only further united the community, and after a couple of years almost all Tristanians insisted on being returned home to their native potato gardens, sheep and waiting for a ship from Cape Town.

Illustration copyright Getty Image caption Residents of Tristan da Cunha survived only two years of life in evacuation in England

British architects now hope to install solar panels on Tristan da Cunha, rebuild local houses, many of which look more like shacks, help with the collection of drinking water and generally do everything so that even on this almost forgotten island it is possible to live as it should be in the 21st century.

Well, or at least in the twentieth century.

Islands of Tristan da Cunha

(from the series "On the outskirts of the planet")

Tristan da Cunha(English: Tristan da Cunha) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, part of the British overseas territory consisting of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

Along with Easter Island and the Pitcairn Islands, it is one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth. Located 2816 km from South Africa, 3360 km from South America and 2161 km south of St. Helena.

The main island of the archipelago, also called Tristan da Cunha and the only island with a permanent population (37 degrees 06 min. S. 12 degrees 16 minutes W.) has an area of 98 sq. km. There are several more more or less large islands: Inaccessible - 14 sq. km; Nightingale (Nightingale) - 3.4 sq. km; Middle - 0.1 sq. km; Stoltenhoff - sq. km; Gough (Diego Alvarez) - 68 sq. km, as well as many small islands and rocks. Since 1956, the South African weather station has been located on a section of Gough Island leased from the British. Gough, Nightingale and Impregnable Islands have been declared nature reserves wildlife.

View of the archipelago from space

Tristan da Cunha is an island of volcanic origin that appeared about 1 million years ago. The highest point of the archipelago is located on the island - Queen Mary (Queen Mary) peak, 2055 meters above sea level. In winter, the top of the mountain is covered with snow. Queen Mary is a volcano that has erupted several times since the island's discovery.

The main island of the archipelago is Tristan da Cunha

The island of Tristan da Cunha has a rocky coast and mountainous terrain, with numerous ravines, which locals call “gulches”. The only territory of the island adapted for permanent human life is the northern and northwestern part. You can also land there from the sea without much risk.

The climate of the islands is temperate oceanic, rainy and windy. On Gough Island the average monthly temperature ranges from +9 to +14.5, on the northern islands - from +11 to +17.5. Annual precipitation ranges from 2000 mm in the north to 2500 mm on Gough Island.

On the islands of Tristan da Cunha there are no mammals (with the exception of seals on the shore and mice brought by humans to Gough Island), reptiles, and butterflies. But the remoteness of the islands from the mainland affected the animal and vegetable world. There are many endemic plants on the islands (or growing on several islands of the archipelago); the smallest flightless bird on Earth, the “Inaccessible Island Shepherd” or “Tristan Shepherd,” has been preserved on Inaccessible Island. The islands are also home to the crested penguin.

Domestic animals and livestock of the inhabitants of the island of Tristan da Cunha do not run wild and do not pose a great danger to nature.

It is believed that northern islands The archipelago was discovered in 1506 by the Portuguese Tristan (Trishtan) da Cunha, but he did not land on the shore. Gough Island was discovered by the English navigator Charles Gough in 1731. The first landing was carried out by French sailors - members of the crew of the frigate "L'Heure du Berger" in 1767.

The first settler on the island was Massachusetts-born American Jonathan Lambert in 1810, who died in 1812. And in 1815, Great Britain annexed the islands. Before the opening of the Suez Canal, the islands were of strategic importance for travel from Europe and East America to the Indian Ocean.

In 1906, a volcanic eruption occurred, resulting in the death of livestock and potato plantations. People were resettled in Cape Town. In 1961, an eruption damaged a fish factory and residents were evacuated to St. Helena or the UK. When the factory was restored, the residents returned home.

The Administrator (Sean Burns), appointed by the Governor (Michael Clancy) of Saint Helena, is the head of the Island Council, consisting of eleven people: eight elected, three appointed. At least one member of the Council must be a woman. The Council member who receives the majority of votes in the election is appointed Chief Islander.

The islands are not connected by regular passenger flights with the mainland. However, the island can be reached by fishing boats and scientific ships. Fishing boats from South Africa go to the island of Tristan da Cunha once a month, they are equipped with places for passengers. Expeditions use helicopter transport.

The islands were visited by the heroes of Jules Verne's novel "The Children of Captain Grant" during their trip around the world along the 37th parallel in search of the missing expedition of the Scottish navigator.

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