Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean
The most remote inhabited place in the world is Tristan da Cunha, a volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean. It lies about 2,800 kilometers from the nearest land, South Africa, and about 3,300 kilometers from South America. Although cable and wireless provide telecommunication service in the territory, the islands are still consider the most isolated on Earth. Lacking an airport, the islands can be reached only by sea.
Motuo, China
Motuo is the remotest county in southeast Tibet and the only county among all of China’s 2,100 counties that still has no access to roads, which makes it one of the most untouched places in the world. The trip to Motuo is pretty difficult because the travelers have to pass across the cold parts of the Himalayas before they arrive to the 200 meters long bridge which leads to Motuo. According to officials from the Tibetan Autonomous Region, this untouched land will have highways by 2012. Until then, Motuo remains separated from the world by a halo of snow-capped mountains around it.
Alert, Nunavut, Canada
Alert is the northernmost permanently inhabited settlement in the world, lying about 800 kilometers from the North Pole and about 2,092 kilometres from the nearest Canadian city, Iqaluit. Alert is located on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island, on the shore of the ice-covered Lincoln Sea. For most of the year the sea is covered with pack ice which move out only in the summer months. For 10 months of the year Alert is covered with snow and average monthly temperatures are above freezing only during July and August. Although Alert has an airport it is often unusable because of weather.
Pitcairn Island, South Pacific
Pitcairn Island located in the South Pacific, midway between New Zealand and South America, is one of the most remote and inaccessible habitations on Earth. Although three other small islands lie closer (Henderson, Ducie and Oeno) they are uninhabited. Since Pitcairn doesn’t have an airport or seaport it is accessible only by ship or boat from New Zeland and such a trip lasts about 10 days. Currently, Pitcairn Island is home to less than 50 people and most of them are the descendants of the Bounty mutineers. Although it’s inhabitants use telephones, internet and television, Pitcairn island is still among the mostIsolated Places on Earth.
Kerguelen Islands, South Indian Ocean
The Kerguelen Islands are a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean. The group of islands, also known as the Desolation Islands, is a French possession. The islands were discovered in 1772 and they were visited in the past by a number of expeditions, including that of Captain Cook in 1776. The Kerguelen Islands have no permanent residents, although the French government maintains a small research station with no more than 50-100 scientists, researchers and technicians. The islands have no airport and all travel from the outside world is conducted by ship.
Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
Ittoqqortoormiit (Danish: Scoresbysund) is a town in the Sermersooq municipality in eastern Greenland. The municipality of Ittoqqortoormiit is one of the smallest populations in Greenland (only 550), but still it is the third biggest municipality area in Greenland. Ittoqqortoormiit (‘the place with the big houses’ in the Eastern Greenlandic dialect) is situated at the mouth of the largest fjord system in the world with fantastic opportunities to experience the splendid nature and scenery. Ittoqqortoormiit is reachable by boat but only during three months the year because the sea is covered with ice for most of the year. The town also has the airport, but the flights are rare.
La Rinconada, Peru
Located in the Andean region, about 5,500 meters above sea level, Rinconada is considered the highest city in the world. The city, located near a gold mine, is covered by a glacier and the ways to reach this place are by airplain or by truck via winding mountain roads. Despite the extreme life conditions (cold and the temperatures that can be lower that -30 degrees) about 30,000 people live there and their basic activity is focused on working in the gold mine. Most workers have special agreement with the authorities; they have to work with no payment and after almost a month of hard working they are allowed to keep only a small part of the gold they reached. Above all, people who live in La Rinconada don’t have basic conditions for a normal life such as central water and health system.
Cape York Peninsula, Australia
Cape York Peninsula, one of the worlds last accessible wilderness areas on Earth, is a remote peninsula located at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia. People of Aboriginal and small mining towns dotted among the large national parks live surrounded by rugged woodlands, mountains, eucalypt, mangrove and rainforests, grasslands, heathland, swamps and mighty rivers. Cape York has two seasons, the “dry” season (between May and November) and the “wet” season (between November and April). During the wet, when thunderstorms and monsoons are common, all road transport stops and the only movement is by air.
McMurdo, Antartica
McMurdo Station, Antarctica’s largest community and a functional science station, is built at the southern end of Ross Island, on land beside the coast of continental Antarctica at the edge of McMurdo Sound. During the summer months there are about 1,100 personnel on base, while there are only 250 in the winter. Trips by boats to McMurdo once took months, but today there are three airstrips there, which made the place less remote than before. The place also include a harbour, a heliport and more than 100 buildings.
Easter Island, South Pacific
Easter Island or Rapa Nui, located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle, is said to be the most isolated inhabited island in the world. The island is famous for giant statues, known as “moai,” made by the early Rapanui people. The mystery of these prehistoric monuments has intrigued archaeologists and travelers for many years. Since Mataveri airport was opened in 1967 the island became more easily accessible.
