The Pandemic has made people escape from the crowd and seek asylum in the isolated and remote places on Earth.
Hard to believe, but there are still such places on Earth among the most remote, isolated, and distant territories with a stark attraction, exuberant scenery, and impossible landscapes.
Top of it all, none of them presented even one case of coronavirus contamination. Take a look at these top 10 most remote places on Earth.
Table of Contents
1. Tristan da Cunha, Atlantic Ocean, British Overseas Territory
Tristan da Cunha is the remotest inhabitable island in the world. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean at a distance of 3200 km from the coast of South America and 2700 km from the coast of South Africa.
Tristan has an area of only 207 km2, and according to the 2016 census, the island has a population of 267 divided into just nine family surnames.
All residents are descendants of the first settlers who arrived on the island between 1816 and 1908. It is believed that the archipelago was discovered in 1506 by the Portuguese Tristan da Cunha, but he did not land on the shores of the islands.
For the first time, French sailors set foot on the land of the islands in 1767. Since 1815, the islands have been annexed by Great Britain. Until the establishment of the Suez canal, the Tristan da Cunha archipelago was the only strategic point of travel from Europe to the Indian Ocean.
Without an airport, the only way to reach the place and enjoy its peaceful life and its untouched nature are through a boat trip from South Africa that lasts six days at sea.
Previously, British transport ships regularly arrived here from South Africa, but the government subsequently canceled the flights. The locals speak English along with Scottish, South African, Irish, Italian, and American words.
| Discovered year | 1506 |
| Discovered by | Portuguese Tristan da Cunha |
| First landers | French sailors |
| Area | 207 sq. km. |
| Landed Year | 1767 |
| Population | 267 |
| Way to reach | By boat |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Main Occupation | Agriculture |
2. Pitcairn Islands, British Overseas Territory, Pacific Ocean
The Pitcairn Islands are the only British holdings in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are located in the South Pacific Ocean, bordering Polynesia.
The island’s total area is only 47 km2, with 122 inhabitants divided between 9 families as of 2019. They are the descendants of the famous ship Bounty.
In 1787, the three-masted merchant ship Bounty set sail for Tahiti to purchase breadfruit seeds for the plantations of Jamaica. In 1789, a riot broke out on a boat in Tahiti. Fletcher Christian seized power and expelled the ship’s captain, William Bligh.
Fearing a punitive expedition, he went with other apostates and several residents to the uninhabited islands. They landed on Pitcairn Island, burned a ship, and founded a colony. Today, the people here live off agriculture, fishing, and the sale of scarce postage stamps to collectors.
Electricity on the island is obtained from a diesel generator from 8 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to 10 pm. The island has no runway, and to get there from the mainland, you need to sail by ship for about ten days.
Remnants of the Polynesian civilization, stone idols, and burials were found here. Only one settlement has been built, Adamstown and residents move on ATVs along partially concreted roads.
In 2004, six local men were charged for sexual assault, devastating and widespread effects on the island’s inhabitants.
| Discovered year | 1789 |
| Discovered by | William Bligh |
| Area | 47 sq. km. |
| Population | 122 |
| Way to reach | By boat |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Main Occupation | Agriculture, Fishing, and Selling Postage Stamps |
3. Easter Island, Chile
Easter Island or Rapanui belongs to Chile with about 164 square kilometers with no more than 4,000 people. It is located about 3200 kilometers from the coast of Chile in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
On April 5, 1722, the Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeven noticed the island of Rapanui on the horizon and named it in honor of the great holiday of Easter. At the time of the island’s discovery by the Dutch admiral, the island’s population was 2-3 thousand people.
After this event, the island got unnoticed for 50 years. And in 1770, the island was annexed by Spain. The ancient culture of Easter Island is shrouded in mystery and charm. The most famous symbol of Easter Island is the giant stone idol statue called Moai, 887 in total.
The Moai statues reach a height of 20 meters. Their structure includes heads with the torso—Moai idols, made from the 12th to the 15th century; they abruptly ceased production.
Why the output of Moai stopped and where the people who inhabited the island disappeared remains a mystery.
UNESCO announced it a World Heritage Site in 2015, which has assisted with its conservation efforts. LAN is the only airline to offer flights to Easter Island from the United States.
| Discovered year | April 5, 1722 |
| Discovered by | Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeven |
| Area | 164 sq. km. |
| Population | 4000 |
| Way to reach | By air |
| Location | Chile |
| Main Occupation | Tourism |
4. Devon Island, Canada
Devon Island is located opposite Baffin Island, on the north shore of Lancaster Sound. It has an area of 55,247 km² discovered by a European Robert Bylot in 1616.
It was then an English explorer who mapped the south coast of the island in 1819-1820. Its relief and its particular geology characterize Devon Island. It is surrounded by high cliffs of gneiss 300 to 600 meters above sea level, the highest point rising to 1920 meters.
Since 2001, a research program called Flashline MARS has been taking place on the island. For scientists, Devon Island has indeed the environment that most closely resembles that of the planet Mars.
So this is where people take turns in the summer to simulate life and activities that could take place in the future on the red planet.
The air temperature in the winter months on Devon Island rarely exceeds minus 34-36 ºС, and in summer, it does not rise above + 10 ºС.
The island is dominated by tundra and arctic deserts with relatively poor flora and fauna. The island’s coastline is cut by numerous bays, which makes it even more harsh and bleak.
| Discovered year | 1616 |
| Discovered by | European Robert Bylot |
| Area | 55,247 sq. km. |
| Population | None |
| Way to reach | By air |
| Location | Canada |
| Inhabited by | Once by NASA scientists but now abandoned |
5. Kerguelen Islands, French Southern, and Antarctic Territories
The Kerguelen Islands are part of the Antarctic and Southern Territories of France. They are located 3218 kilometers from the extreme south of Africa and are only accessible by boat and four days a year.
The island of Kerguelen itself is also known as the Isle of Desolation and is surrounded by 300 other islets spread over 6,215 square kilometers. It has no permanent residents; however, it employs about 100 people in the fishing industry in winter.
Although the French missile defense system is located here, it is also a scientific center and once bred sheep of a rare breed – Bizet. It was discovered by a French expedition in 1772. The French named this group of islands after the expedition leader, Yves Joseve de Kerguelen.
The Kerguelen Islands are subjected to rain, ice, or snow 300 days a year. Most of the inhabitants who live there are French researchers. No planes fly in the region, so rare travelers have to sail for six days by Boat from Reunion Island, near Madagascar.
| Discovered year | 1772 |
| Discovered by | Yves Joseve de Kerguelen |
| Area | 6,215 sq. km. |
| Population | None |
| Way to reach | By ship |
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Inhabited by | Scientists and Researchers |
6. Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
Of all the settlements in Greenland, Ittoqqortoormiit is the most remote. This town is part of a municipality the size of England, but just over 500 people are living here. The area of Greenland, the largest island in the world, is 2,130,800 km2.
Ittoqqortoormiit was discovered in 1925 by Einar Mikkelsen and 70 other settlers from the Gustav Holm ship. Residents make their living by hunting polar bears, whales, and halibut.
In winter, locals travel by snowmobiles and dog sleds, and in summer, the owners rent kayaks.
The population is engaged in hunting for bears and whales; shrimp and halibut are caught numerous times a year. The rest of the time, thick ice prevents fishing.
For the entertainment of tourists, tent campsites are provided here, which are populated in the spring on the shore.
There is an airport 40 kilometers from Illokkortoormiut, but planes fly here very rarely. You can get to it by plane (only two times a week), helicopter, or boat several months a year.
| Discovered year | 1925 |
| Discovered by | Einar Mikkelsen |
| Area | 2,130,800 sq. km. |
| Population | 500 |
| Way to reach | By air and ship |
| Location | Greenland |
| Main Occupation | Hunting |
7. Oymyakon Village, Russia
Oymyakon village of Russia is the coldest inhabited place on Earth, registering a temperature minus 72 degrees Celsius in 2013.
The Siberian city of around 500 inhabitants is a few hundred kilometers from the Arctic Circle and the Nearest city, Yakutsk, is a two-day drive away.
The village is on the left bank of the Indigirka River, at an altitude of 745 meters above sea level. The legends have it that the town was discovered during World War II when an airfield was constructed in Aeroport.
The other legends suggest that the seasonal herders discovered the village in the 1920s. They used to spend summer on the banks of the Indigirka River. The town is without power for about 21 hours a day in winter.
Since the crops can’t be grown, people live on reindeer meat, frozen fish, and horse blood ice cubes with macaroni. Indoor plumbing also gets tricky since the water freezes, and most use the outhouse.
The best method to get there is by flight to Yakutsk or Magadan, and both are over 900 kilometers away.
The road from these towns to Oymyakon is called The Bone Road. They organize entertainment programs like the week-long Pole of Cold Festival with reindeer riding and accommodation in local guest houses.
| Discovered year | 1920 |
| Discovered by | Herders |
| Area | N/A |
| Population | 500 |
| Way to reach | By air |
| Location | Russia |
| Main Occupation | Tourism and Hunting |
8. The Changtang, Tibet
Changtang is located between 1200 and 1800 meters above sea level, so it is called the Roof of the World. The 1,593 kilometers of land that crosses the Tibetan plateau is home to a nomadic people called the Changpa.
Wild animals like snow leopards and yaks thrive despite the cold and arid climate. You need the permission of several thousand dollars to enter, but you can access it through Leh Airport, Udhampur Station, or you can go by car from Manali or Srinagar.
Changthang was once ruled by Zhangzhung, which later merged with Tibetan culture. Changtang villages were established when many Tibetan nomads, mainly from western Tibet, fled and settled in the adjacent places of Ladakh in 1963. Today the plateau is home to around 7000 people settled in the area.
| Discovered year | 1963 |
| Discovered by | Zhangzhung People |
| Area | 1,593 sq. km. |
| Population | 7000 |
| Way to reach | By air or by road |
| Location | Tibet |
| Main Occupation | Herding |
9. McMurdo Base, Antarctica
Antarctica is located at the very bottom of the world and is one of the most remote places. This continent is the only mainland without indigenous people.
Here, on the southern tip of Ross Island, is the largest American research station, the most significant human settlement, port, and the named capital of Antarctica – McMurdo.
It is located 1,350 kilometers north of the South Pole. The research facility was founded on February 16, 1956.
The research center owes its name to this strait, which was named after Lieutenant Archibald McMurdo. He chartered the area in 1841 under the command of British explorer James Clark Ross.
The facility researches everything from astrophysics to glacial geology. It is operated by the US government’s National Science Foundation.
One thousand two hundred fifty-eight people live and work here in more than 100 buildings. About 250 residents remain to save the city during the quiet period.
Grocers buy international food, carpenters and builders maintain the place, bus drivers transport passengers and goods, gardeners beautify greenhouses, and everyone, oddly enough, eats ice cream.
It boasts a chapel, several ATMs, a golf course, three landing strips, a fire station, a post office, and two bars. It used to take several months to reach McMurdo, but now the runways allow you to get to the site much faster.
Recorded extreme temperatures in these parts reached -50 degrees and +8 degrees Celsius. The average value is -18 ° C. Drifting snow can accumulate up to 1.5 meters per year, although the station thaws in summer.
| Discovered year | 1841 |
| Discovered by | Lieutenant Archibald MacMurdo |
| Area | N/A |
| Population | 1258 |
| Way to reach | By air and by road |
| Location | Antarctica |
10. Socotra Island, Yemen
Socotra Island is among the most beautiful and unique places on the planet. The island has an area of about 3,600 square km.
Most of the local flora and fauna (all terrestrial mollusks that live here, 90% of reptiles and a third of plants) are endemic and do not occur anywhere else on Earth.
The island is part of the state of Yemen and is located 250 km from Africa and 350 km from the Arabian Peninsula.
According to scientists, the flora of Socotra is a unique heritage of ancient times, species that have become extinct on the continents survived here.
The most famous are Dragon Trees, Cucumber Tree, Giant Dorstenia, and Desert Rose (Adenium Socotranum). UNESCO announced the island as a World Heritage Site in 2008; the island has 40,000 inhabitants but only built its first road in 2011.
For a long time, Socotra was inaccessible to naturalists, and now researchers from all over the world have come here. Ecotourism is one of the most popular areas of development for Socotra.
Presumably, in the 1st millennium BC, representatives of the southern Arabian tribes arrived on the islands, who became the discoverers of Socotra.
The Portuguese tried to capture Socotra in 1507 but were defeated and retreated. From the late 19th century to 1967, these lands were under the British protectorate. Today the archipelago is part of the state of Yemen.
| Discovered year | 1st Millennium BC |
| Discovered by | Southern Arabian tribes |
| Area | 3,600 sq. km. |
| Population | 40,000 |
| Way to reach | By air or by road |
| Location | Yemen |
Conclusion
These are the places where you can isolate yourself and get away from all the troubles for a while. It does require a lot of effort to embark on epic journeys to reach some of these places, but it’s worth the trip, especially if you are a real adventurous traveler.
(Last Updated on May 26, 2022 by Sadrish Dabadi)
