How bizarre the fate of a person, a city, a country sometimes develops. So, it would seem, who would dream 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 an already small territory? And 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, to one degree or another, are brought by relatives to each other ...
Holiday island
Strictly speaking, in 1506, the Portuguese navigator Trishtan da Cunha saw through his telescope an entire archipelago. And since he could not land on it, he simply gave his name to the largest island of the group, which also included the islands of Gough, Nightingale and Inaccessible. All of them are the abode of seals, crested penguins and yellow-billed albatrosses, and the Inaccessible is also the abode of the Tristan shepherdess, 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 gotten used to hiding from birds of prey in the bushes. But the unnatural ones - in the form of rats - can easily infiltrate the Inaccessible from Tristan da Cunha and put an end to all endemic splendor. It must be said that until Tristan da Cunha was inhabited by people, there were no Pasyukov or mice there either. These eternal companions of seafarers arrived on the island together with its very 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, he was not doing very well with independent rest, otherwise why would he agree to the protectorate of England, kindly offered by the English governor of the Cape of Good Hope? This is how the British flag flew over Tristan for the first time. Then events developed even more interesting: in 1815, on the island of St. Helena, the same uncomfortable 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 reposed and the garrison was returned to the Cape of Good Hope. It was a joyful day for most of the soldiers: they were sick and tired of sitting on an island lost in the ocean, from which to the mainland it is almost 3,000 km by water. However, among them there were eccentrics who decided to choose Tristan da Cunha as their home. It is difficult to say what exactly they liked here so much. But the fact remains. Every year there were more and more people here.
All today's settlers are the descendants of those eccentrics who settled on 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 Glase family is considered the oldest on the island - immigrants from the United States have been living on the island since 1816. The British Svoyny have settled here since 1826. The Greens from Holland and the Rogers from the USA were repaired by the islanders in 1836. Hagans from the United States settled in Tristan da Cunha in 1849, and two Italian families - Repetto and Lavarello - ended up here in 1892. There are also Collins and Squibbs: both are 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 St. Helena. Two more brave Irish women arrived here after their chosen ones. And off we go. Now in the veins of the entire population of Tristan da Cunha, European-African blood flows. 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 a sore. However, asthma does not prevent Tristans from feeling happy. In addition, when almost every second person has it, this is a kind of a 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 normal life, especially since it required daily work: after all, the Tristans were stuck in the 19th century. Until 1961, nothing here reminded of the age 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 by hand, they were manually adjusted to each other, and sheaves of New Zealand flax, once brought here, were placed on the roof. Together they worked on the communal land, and together they fished. The Tristans received news from the mainland only from the whalers, who sometimes came here to replenish the water ... And everyone was completely satisfied with everything. But in 1961, the volcano, whose activity was once generated by Tristan da Cunha, took it into his head 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 Tristans made two trips at once in one: firstly, they ended up in England, and secondly, in the XX century! They could not even imagine what progress had reached! For 2 whole years - while the volcano raged - they enjoyed modern amenities. And when the time came to return home, they decided that it was time to end with Victorian England in a separate territory. So Tristan da Cunha entered a new era in its existence - with cars and electric generators. Amazingly, almost all of the Tristans 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 correctness of the saying: "There would be no happiness, but misfortune helped."
Deep relatives
Today, 269 people live in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas - that's 80 families. Each of them has its own home. But, in addition to residential buildings, there is a two-story residence of the main islander, who is elected every few years. He is assisted by 11 councilors to govern 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 where one person works. In truth, he has nothing to do alone: there is no crime on the island as such. Being brought to each other by relatives in one or another tribe, the inhabitants of the island are accustomed to solving all controversial 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 the crew and tourists come ashore. Everyone should be checked. For example, make sure that the visitors have brought a certificate 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 Tristans are cut off from the mainland. Which seems to be very happy. Yes, compared to the British mainland, they live modestly, even poorly. But on the other hand, it is very amicable: in terms of social equality, no one can compare with Tristan da Cunha. And what lobsters are found here! True, the weather conditions allow you to catch them only 70 days a year, but this is enough to eat your fill yourself and earn money for the rest of the year. Dream, not work!
» Tristan da Cunha island, Edinburgh city of the seven seas
There you are iconic a view of Tristan da Cunha, the 'most remote inhabited island in the world', with a characteristic volcano cone, cloud and albatross in the foreground - as it is depicted in illustrations for Jules Verne's books and T-shirts 'I've been to Tristan da Cunha and all I' ve got was this lousy t-shirt "(only the bird needs to be made more)
Of course, Tristan da Cunha is only the second farthest from other human habitation after, but the absence of an airport completely changes the balance: the fastest way to get there is by ships, which happen every 2 months
Any post about Tristan da Cunha should contain a piece of a map of the South Atlantic with infographics with distances to and - to show what kind of a distant, distant island it is: 
The capital of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is the first and only city on the island, 260 people, about 100 houses. Top right - Queen Mary Peak, the highest mountain in the entire South Atlantic. A small, not yet overgrown hill to the left of the city is their home volcano, which tried to destroy the city in 1961, but destroyed only a bay with a port suitable for ocean ships. Since then, disembarking at Tristan da Cunha has been a great adventure: no ship larger than a launch or a small yacht can fit into a new port. 
Should the ocean ship stop at the roadstead, it is attacked by the zodiacs of the islanders. Today is a very, very good day, so the ship lowered the ramp
Shakes in waves, and at the highest point the ladder hangs 2-3 meters above the water, and at the bottom - it plunges under the water, but it is easy to disembark from it: 2 sailors RMS gently grab the pensioner under the armpits, wait for the calm and quietly dump him to the two Tristan boatmen in the zodiac
They say that it is worse to get into the boat with the help of a rope ladder and climbing insurance, and another 30% of passenger ships (of those with a schedule, and after Tristan must go somewhere further) will stand by Tristan for a couple of days and go further: the weather does not allow drop passengers at all 
Suitcases are passed between the ship and the zodiacs, one at a time on ropes 
Calshot harbor
Great Britain annexed Tristan da Cunha to its own (right there, in the South Atlantic, about 3200 kilometers), but direct sea communication between the islands is rare and the governor of Saint Helena appears on the island every 3-5 years. This is just our case: the governor is with us on RMS and therefore, the list of passengers contains not only the usual titles of booking systems - MR, MRS, DOC - but also GOV. No cellular connection, not even Digicel 
Edinburgh of the seven seas
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on the left, the 1961 volcano on the right: 
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas: 
The recognizable central square with a billboard and a signpost reproduced on a million photos was spoiled with an electric cabinet - street lighting is being built in the city and nothing is spared, nothing 
All other human cities will be north of Edinburgh, but signs point east - blown away by prevailing wind 
Edinburgh lives in a constant strong mournful wind from west to east, or vice versa - Muscovites would have been blown off their feet long ago, but here everyone somehow adapted. As barriers from the wind are grown New Zealand linen- grass at 3 human heights. A plant that is considered an aggressive weed in a neighboring one finally benefits 
Dry laundry on a sunny wall that protects from the wind 
If you remove the body from a pickup truck, it will turn into a greenhouse with giant plants (because it is warm, there is no wind and the sheep cannot eat this grass) 
City plumbing with New Zealand flax wind barriers in the background: 
For a garage, the main thing is to protect from the wind, and not from precipitation: 
Despite the harsh environment, there is no snow in this city: the record for the lowest temperature is + 5 ° C (higher than on a much more northern and more tropical one). But here's another thing: 37 parallel south latitude (see Children of Captain Grant) Tristan da Cunha corresponds to the latitude of Sicily. A person here burns in an hour in summer, but the plants and climate, due to the cooling effect of the roaring forties, are similar to the Kolyma or Karelian summer.
The flag was raised over the residence of the Governor of Saint Helena (for the first time in 3 years, for 2 days) - because the governor came with us to RMS 
Urbanists work on Edinburgh - a large-scale lantern installation program is being implemented in the city 
In a couple of months it will be cool, but for now, after sunset, not a damn thing is visible in the city and tourists walk around illuminating the paths with smartphones unsuitable for anything else. 
It gets dark 
Lobsters
The island economy works in much the same way: government jobs and small income from hardcore tourists. But Tristan was lucky: there are lobsters here and Japanese aliens are ready to pay dearly for them - it pays for production and expensive logistics. Every day, when the weather permits (~ 70 days a year), they go out to sea, catch lobsters and process them at a lobster factory 
It is not possible to gut the entire catch in real time, so the difference is kept alive in an aquarium workshop similar to the Matrix 
Lobster boats in the port: between the exits they must be pulled ashore: the wind is unpredictable and strong, it can break 
Local lobsters eat only tails: to satisfy the special needs of aliens, tails are packed either in rings (in the picture) or flattened, this is all bought and consumed in a very different way. 
Packing tails in plastic bags 
Sorted by weight 
Aliens love a beautiful presentation of food, so antennae and inedible shells are piled up and placed in boxes so that the chef can decorate the dish.
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 the collective farm, 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 settlement on Earth. The nearest inhabited island (St. Helena) is 2 thousand kilometers of open ocean.
Image copyright RIBA Image caption All land on Tristan da Cunha is co-owned by the islandersWhy 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 a collective farm? Because when Great Britain ceased to be 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 founder of the colony, William Glass in 1817, all the land on the island is jointly owned by the islanders.
Image copyright Getty Image caption Until the end of the 60s, houses on Tristan da Cunha looked like thisLocal residents grow potatoes, raise 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 the weather permits, people go out to sea for fish. In addition, all residents, to the extent of their physical capabilities, 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 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 no port or airportThe population of the island is about 280 people. They are all 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.
Tristans speak a dialect of English close to the dialect of the north of England in the early 19th century.
Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Among other things, Tristan da Cunha receives income from the sale of stamps. There are more penguins than people on the islandSince the entire island belongs to the entire community as a whole, outsiders are prohibited from settling there. Britain sends a teacher and sometimes a police officer to the island - but only for a period of three years, and these migrants are not considered members of the community and are not allowed to cultivate the land, raise sheep or go out to sea for fish.
The only connection to the outside world is the very slow Internet, which appeared there just a few years ago, and a ship that calls 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 governmentThere is no port on the island, as a result, when the ship arrives from Cape Town, the entire adult population abandons 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.
Image copyright Thierry Assef Image caption The island's capital, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, is called the "village" by the localsAll the islanders live in the only settlement on the island, which is at the same time the capital of Tristan da Cunha. No other capital of the world has a more romantic name - Edinburgh of the Seven Seas (although the locals call it simply "The Settlement").
The island is governed by the Governor of St. Helena, who sends an administrator to Tristan da Cunha every three years. That, in turn, relies on the local "parliament" - a council of five. 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 seasTristan da Cunha is the summit of an active volcano that protrudes 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 a tiny island, almost completely cut off from the rest of the world, where all people are relatives to each other?
Image caption Fishing is one of the main local industriesBut, as it turned out, almost everything.
In 1961, a volcanic eruption began at Tristan da Cunha, and the British government evacuated the entire local population to England. Everyone who had heard at least something about the living conditions on the island was convinced that, having tasted the benefits of real civilization, the islanders would stay in England.
Image copyright Getty Image caption Evacuation of the residents of Tristan da CunhaBut it was not there. The evacuation and life in a foreign land among people who did not understand the idea of a joint collective economy only united the community even more, and after a couple of years, almost all Tristans insisted that they be 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 withstood only two years of life in evacuation in EnglandBritish architects now hope to install solar panels on Tristan da Cunha, rebuild local houses, many of which look more like huts, help with collecting drinking water and, in general, do everything so that even on this almost everyone forgotten island it was possible to live like put in the XXI century.
Well, or at least in the twentieth.
We live in a fascinating world. There are still many secrets on the planet to be discovered. The more a person studies the world around him, the more curious he becomes. There is one very interesting place on Earth - a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic called Tristan da Cunha. The main island of the archipelago is also called. This place is ideal for those who want to take a break from the bustling city life.
Tristan da Cunha - the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world
Only in 1767 was a complete exploration of the island of Tristan carried out. The crew of the French corvette stayed on it for three days. And the island remained uninhabited until the 19th century.
In 1810, a man named Jonathan Lambert arrived from Massachusetts and settled on the island. He immediately demanded ownership of the archipelago. He arrived in December of that year with two more men and claimed the islands as his own, calling them the Islands of Rejuvenation. However, two years later, only Thomas Curry remained on the island. He was engaged in farming. In 1816, the archipelago was annexed to the United Kingdom.
The only settlement of Tristana da Cunha is located in the north of the island, and is called Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
Photo: Brian Gratwicke / flickr (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
The islands have volcanoes that have erupted in the past. So, when in 1961 there were large eruptions, landslides and an earthquake, the entire population left for England. According to reports, these people eventually got tired of city life and English weather, and returned to Tristan when experts confirmed that the danger was over.
Tourists are attracted here by natural conditions and numerous endemic plants. Tristan da Cunha is represented by an archipelago of islands located in the south of the 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, the Inaccessible, Nightingale and Gough. Each of them has its own peculiarity. Gough is famous for its meteorological station. A protected area has been created on the Inaccessible Island, and therefore access to it is closed. The main island alone has a population of 300.
Tristan da Cunha has a rich history. It got its name from the sailor Tristan Cunha, who was considered a pioneer. According to reports, in 1506 he found the island, but was never able to land there. Gough Island was 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 is 2055 meters high and is the highest point of 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 did great harm to the fish processing factory. The population was temporarily relocated to Great Britain.
The island has a mountainous structure and a coastline covered with pebbles and boulders. Tristan da Cunha has a lot of ravines, called "gorges" by the locals. 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. The surprising fact is that petrels throughout the Atlantic Ocean can only breed here. Inhabiting 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. Petrels produce only one clutch per year. Birds naturally feed on fish.
Of the mammals, the seal became the only representative. There are no more mammals and reptiles there. The island is rich in endemic flora and fauna that live only in the archipelago.
The Gough, Unapproachable and Nightingale Islands are designated conservation areas and national parks. Access there is only open for excursions. The country's economy is based only on agriculture. Due to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, fishing is highly developed. On the island, the inhabitants grow vegetables, fruits, keep pets. Even with a huge distance from the nearest "civilization", the island has created all the necessary infrastructure for a person. There is a hospital, a school, a church, even a nightclub and its own radio station.
