Top 10 Most Isolated Countries in the World

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - It is quite surprising that there still exist countries that are difficult to access in this modern era of easy global travel. These nations are often remote, situated in the midst of vast oceans, surrounded by dense rainforests or towering mountains, and thus are isolated from the rest of the world.

According to the travel page Explanders, here is the list of the top 10 most isolated countries in the world, ranked from the least to most secluded:

10. Federated States of Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia is a federation of four semi-autonomous states, namely Kosrae, Yap, Pohnpei, and Chuuk, spread over dozens of atolls in the South Pacific. With a land area of barely more than 700 square kilometers, it is one of the least visited nations on earth.

9. Suriname

Suriname, one of the smallest and least populated countries in South America, was once a Dutch colony. It has a population of around 600,000 people, most of whom are of African, Indian, and Indonesia's Javanese descent. The only access to Suriname is by plane or ferry as it borders a large river and is located in a rainforest.

8. Tonga

Tonga, one of the countries that were never colonized but was protected by the British from 1900-1970, is located about 800 kilometers east of Fiji in the South Pacific. The country consists of 171 islands, less than a third of which are inhabited. Nearly 70 percent of Tonga's 105,000 people live on the main island.

7. Timor Leste

Timor Leste, which only gained independence on May 20, 2002, is located on the southeastern edge of the Indonesian archipelago. The country has only one international airport, which serves small flights to nearby cities of Indonesia, such as Denpasar and Kupang. This makes the isolated island nation very difficult to access.

6. Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe, home to around 220,000 people, consists of two islands in the middle of the Gulf of Guinea located 225 kilometers off the coast of West Africa. The country has only one main airport, which connects it to several neighboring countries and its former colonizer, Portugal.

5. Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands, one of the most remote countries in the world, has a population of around 60,000 spread over 29 atolls in the South Pacific. Although it offers stunning marine tourism, the Marshall Islands averages only 6,000 foreign visitors per year.

4. Kiribati

The island nation of Kiribati in the South Pacific covers an area of 811 square kilometers. The country, which consists of 32 atolls and one coral atoll, is 4,654 kilometers between its easternmost and westernmost points, roughly equivalent to the distance from London to Nova Scotia, Canada.

3. Bhutan

Most of Bhutan's territory is in the Himalayas and is sandwiched between two densely populated countries, China and India. Off-limits to tourists until the 1970s, the country is also home to Gangkhar Puensum, one of the highest mountains yet to be climbed. Despite this, Bhutan is blessed with a wealth of natural and cultural resources.

2. Tuvalu

Tuvalu covers an area of around 26 square kilometers in the South Pacific, about halfway between Sydney and Honolulu. The country, which consists of six atolls and three coral islands, is home to only 11,500 people. Tuvalu has its only international airport near the capital, Funafuti.

1. Nauru

The island nation of Nauru is one of the least exposed countries in the world. It is separated almost 300 kilometers from its closest neighbor, Banaba Island in Kiribati. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this 21 square kilometer country is also the third smallest country with the second smallest population after the Vatican.

MELYNDA DWI PUSPITA

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