Tourists are attracted here natural conditions and numerous endemic plants. Tristan da Cunha is represented by an archipelago of islands, which is located in the south Atlantic Ocean. It is unique and famous for being considered the most remote place in the world. The main islands of the archipelago are Tristan da Cunha, Impregnable, Nightingale and Gough. Each of them has its own peculiarity. Gough is famous for its weather station. A protected area has been created on the island of Inaccessible, and therefore access to it is closed. The main island alone has a population of 300 people.

Tristan da Cunha has richest history. It got its name from the sailor Tristan Cunha, who was considered the discoverer. According to reports, in 1506 he found the island, but was never able to land there. Gough Island discovered by Charles Gough. In 1767, French sailors decide to land on the island. For a long time, the islands were considered the main economic and political positions. During long sea voyages, they were used as a stopover or refuge. Since 1800, the first guests were scientists from many countries who came to the archipelago for research.

In 1815 the archipelago was annexed to Great Britain. At first, the main inhabitants were the military, then civilians joined them.

The island of Tristan da Cunha is of volcanic origin and appeared more than a million years ago. Queen Mary Peak has a height of 2055 meters and is the most high point the entire archipelago. Since its inception, the volcano has erupted only a few times.

The first eruption happened in 1906. It destroyed all livestock and fields with potatoes and vegetables.

The next eruption is dated in 1961. It caused great damage to the fish processing factory. The population was temporarily relocated to the UK.

The island has a mountain structure and a coast covered with pebbles and boulders. There are a lot of ravines on Tristan da Cunha, called "gorges" by the local population. Only the north of the island is suitable for human life. There is the capital of the island - the city of Edinburgh. It's a small town that doesn't even have an airport. You can only get there by ship.

Tristan da Cunha is famous for its natural landscapes. Amazing Fact is that the petrels of the entire Atlantic Ocean can breed only here. Living almost all the time in flight over the Atlantic, they arrive on the island only during the breeding season. At the end of May, birds lay eggs in crevices and incubate it for about 53 days. After hatching, the chick remains in the nest for another three months. Shearwaters produce only one clutch per year. Birds naturally feed on fish.

Of the mammals, the only representative was the seal. There are no more mammals and reptiles there. The island is rich in endemic flora and fauna, living only on the territory of the archipelago.

The islands of Gough, Impregnable and Nightingale are recognized as protected areas and national parks. Access there is open only for excursions. The country's economy is based solely on agriculture. Due to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, fishing is very developed. On the island, residents grow vegetables, fruits, and keep pets. Even with a huge distance from the nearest "civilization", all the infrastructure necessary for a person has been created on the island. There is a hospital, a school, a church even here. night club and own radio station

Few travelers make it to this island in the South Atlantic Ocean. There is no airport here, and the nearest country - South Africa - is 2816 kilometers away.

Tem more interesting story island, which was first described by the Portuguese Tristan da Cunha in 1506. True, he did not dare to land on the shore. In 1810, the first permanent settlers arrived here from Salem, Massachusetts. Four men, led by Jonathan Lambert, named the place Refreshing Island. Three of them died already by 1812, and the only survivor, Thomas Curry, remained on the island and took up farming.

The remoteness of the island from the mainland.

View of Tristan da Cunha from the ocean.

In 1815, the island of Tristan da Cunha was annexed by the British. All due to the fact that in the neighborhood - on the island of St. Helena (remote at 2161 kilometers) - Napoleon was languishing in prison. The British were afraid of rescue operations, in addition, the islands were of strategic importance on the way to Indian Ocean(The Suez Canal will be dug only by 1869).

Now the island is considered part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (there are 14 such territories - from the famous Gibraltar and Falkland Islands to Pitcairn and Anguilla). The island belongs to the UK, but is not part of it. The queen's foot has never set foot on the island, and to set foot on this island is not its inhabitant - an extremely difficult task. Only a few times a year fishing boats from South Africa come here. They are equipped with seats for passengers.

Island Flag

City map

As of 2016, the island is inhabited by 268 residents from only seven families (there is even a family tree posted on the island). There is not much work here, so many government positions have been created for residents: police, customs, environmental, environmental and agricultural services. And every inhabitant of the island of Tristan da Cunha is a farmer who owns his own potato field. In order to maintain an average standard of living for everyone, a family is allowed to have a maximum of two cows. No one on the island pays taxes, while the population receives deductions from the sale of seafood.

The only settlement bears the beautiful name of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. The locals, however, simply call it The Settlement.

View of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

Ordinary house in Tristan da Cunha

In 2005, the UK gave the island its own postal code (TDCU 1ZZ) to make it easier for residents to order goods online. Truth, cellular communication there is no. From 1998 to 2006, 64 kilobits of internet was available via satellite phone, but the high cost and poor quality of work forced the residents of the island to abandon this. Now the Internet is available only in cafes, and this is perhaps the most remote Internet cafe in the world from civilization.

Television is present in the form of two BBC channels, so that news reaches the inhabitants of the island somewhat faster than in 1919. Then a ship passing by (the first since 1909) informed them about the results of the First World War.

Local

Bus stop

Read more:
Report at the Vinsky Forum for 2013
Tristan da Cunha island. Wikipedia
Tristan da Cunha island. Official site

How bizarre sometimes the fate of a person, a city, a country develops. So, 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 sights there is only a volcano that occupies the lion's share of an already small territory? And go ahead: 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, to one degree or another, are brought by relatives to each other ...
holiday island
Strictly speaking, in 1506, the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha saw through his telescope the whole archipelago. And since he could not land on it, he simply gave his name himself big island from a group that also included the islands of Gough, Nightingale and Impregnable. All of them are home to seals, crested penguins and yellow-billed albatrosses, and the Unapproachable is also the home of the Tristan shepherd boy, the smallest flightless bird on Earth. And for this reason, especially frequently visited 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 ones - in the form of rats - can easily penetrate Impregnable from Tristan da Cunha and put an end to all endemic splendor. I must say that until Tristan da Cunha was settled by people, there were no pasyukov, no mice there either. 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 the ruler of the "Island of Rest". But apparently with independent rest he did not go very well, otherwise why would he agree to the protectorate of England, kindly offered by the English governor of the Cape Good Hope? So the British flag flew over Tristan for the first time. Further events developed even more interestingly: in 1815, on the island of St. Helena, the same unpleasant piece of land, located 2161 km north of Tristan, the British settled Napoleon. And they decided to place a garrison on Tristan da Cunha in order to cut off possible sea routes for the escape of the disgraced emperor. The island was finally annexed and became part of the British metropolis.
Nine surnames
In 1821, Napoleon passed away, and the garrison was returned to the Cape of Good Hope. It was a happy day for most of the soldiers: they were sick as hell of sitting on an island lost in the ocean, from which to 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. But the fact remains. Every year there are more and more people here.
All 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 Glace family is considered the most ancient on the island - immigrants from the United States have been living on the island since 1816. The English of the Swain have settled here since 1826. The Greens from Holland and the Rogers from the United States became islanders in 1836. Hagans from the United States settled on Tristan da Cunha in 1849, and two Italian families - Repetto and Lavarello - ended up here in 1892. There are also Collins and Squibbs: both of them are the descendants of the very English soldiers who once guarded Napoleon ... It is noteworthy that these warriors chose their wives among the locals - African women from Cape Town and from St. Helena. 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 awarded their offspring with the sore. However, asthma does not prevent the Tristanians from feeling happy. In addition, 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 Collins and Rogers refused him too. And to sweeten the pill, they named their settlement, which was previously uncomplicatedly 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 everyday work: after all, the Tristanians were stuck in the 19th century. Until 1961, nothing here reminded us that the century of scientific and technological progress was in the yard. 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 hoisted onto the roof. Together they cultivated the land owned by the community, together they fished. News from big land the Tristanians received only from the whalers, who sometimes came here for replenishment of water ... And everything completely suited everyone. But in 1961, the volcano, whose activity had once generated 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 what progress had come to! For 2 whole years - while the volcano raged - they enjoyed modern amenities. And when it was time to return home, they decided that it was time to put an end to Victorian England in a single territory. So Tristan da Cunha entered a new era of its existence - with cars and electric generators. Surprisingly, 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 were no happiness, but misfortune helped."
Deep relatives
Today, 269 people live in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas - this is 80 families. Each of them has their own house. But, in addition to residential buildings, there is a two-story residence of the main islander, who is elected every few years. 11 council members help him manage the island, 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, a school, a supermarket and even a police station, which employs one person. In truth, he has nothing to do alone: ​​there is no crime on the island as such. Bringing each other relatives in one tribe or another, the inhabitants of the island are accustomed to resolving all contentious issues in a family way. So the servant of the law simply has nothing to interfere with. Therefore, it is very animated when a ship from Cape Town arrives at Tristan da Cunha and crew members and tourists go ashore. Everyone needs to be checked. For example, make sure that the visitors brought certificates of no criminal record. This is a prerequisite. Without it, a visit to Tristan da Cunha may be denied. True, due to the peculiarities of the relief, 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 seems to be very happy. Yes, compared to the mainland English, they live modestly, even poorly. But on the other hand, they are very friendly: in terms of social equality, no one can compare with Tristan da Cunha. And what kind of lobsters are found here! Truth, weather allow you to catch them only 70 days a year, but even this is enough to eat your fill and earn money for the rest of the year. Dream, not work!

Image 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 collective farms, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Royal Institute of British Architects have in common?

Tristan da Cunha island.

This island is unique. british overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. The most isolated city on earth. To the nearest inhabited island(St. Helena) - 2 thousand kilometers of open ocean.

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

Why Napoleon? Because the island was annexed by Great 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 jointly owned by the islanders.

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

Local residents grow potatoes, breed sheep, whose livestock 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 weather permits, people go out to sea to fish. In addition, all residents, to the extent of their physical abilities, participate in public works– repairing the government building, or laying a "road".

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

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Tristan da Cunha has neither a port nor an 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 inhabitants of the island have only seven surnames - Glass, Green, Hagan, Lavarello, Repetto, Rogers and Swain.

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

Image 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 a period of three years, and these migrants are not considered members of the community and have no right to cultivate the land, raise sheep or go to sea for fish.

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

Image 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 quits their business, gets into boats, and goes to receive cargo.

This is what spurred 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.

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

All the islanders live in the only settlement on the island, 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 the locals simply call it "The Settlement").

The island is governed by the governor of St. Helena, who sends an administrator to Tristan da Cunha once 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.

Image copyright getty Image caption It looks like a "supermarket" in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

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

It would seem - who wants to stay on 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 crafts

But, as it turned out, almost everything.

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

Image copyright getty Image caption Evacuation of the inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha

But it was not there. Evacuation and life in a foreign land among people who do not understand the idea of ​​a joint collective farm only rallied the community even more, 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.

Image copyright getty Image caption Residents of Tristan da Cunha endured just two years of evacuation in England

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

Well, at least in the XX.

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Tristan da Cunha. Tristan da Cunha Islands ... Wikipedia

- (Tristan da Cunha) about in the south. part of the Atlantic Ocean, the possession of Great Britain. Before release own brands in 1952 use. stamps of the islands of St. Helena and Ascension, as well as South Africa and Great Britain. A series prepared in 1946 by local authorities ... ... Big philatelic dictionary

Tristan da Cunha: The Tristan da Cunha (Islands) archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean. Cunha, Tristan and the famous Portuguese navigator ... Wikipedia

- (Tristan da Cunha) group of 4 volcanic islands in the southern part of the Atlantic. British possession. The area of major island 117 km². The population of St. 300 people (1988). The main town of Edinburgh. Fishing, hunting ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Tristan da Cunha), a group of 4 volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. British possession. The area of ​​the largest island is 117 km2. population over 300 (1988). Basic locality Edinburgh. Fishing, ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Tristan da Cunha- (Tristan da Cunha), a group of 4 volcanic islands, in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean (37 ° 06 "S and 12 ° 01" W). Administratively (since 1938) as part of the British possession. Area 209 km2 (including the largest and most inhabited ... ... Encyclopedic reference book "Africa"

- (Tristan da Cunha, named after the Portuguese navigator Tristão da Cunha, who discovered these islands) a group of 4 volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean (37 ° 06 S and 12 ° 01 W). Belongs to the UK. Square… … Big soviet encyclopedia

- (Tristan da Cunha) an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, owned by the British. 37°6 S latitude, 12°2 W e. The shape of the island is round, the surface is 116 square meters. km, 61,000 inhabitants. It consists of one cone-shaped mountain 2300 or 2540 m in height, cool ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Tristan da Cunha Islands Flag of the Islands Coat of arms of the Islands ... Wikipedia

Books

• Winter is ending. Stories, Andrey Kalinin. A book for those who are looking for their own path and believe that any winter ends sooner or later. 14 stories about the most different people: from the number one on the Forbes list to the young resident of the island ...