8 Most Isolated Islands, List of Beautiful Loneliest Islands

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As globalization continues to expand, certain isolated islands remain scattered across the globe. These remote islands are often located in the middle of vast oceans, surrounded by dense rainforests, or nestled within towering mountain ranges, cutting them off from the rest of the world.

This article explores the world's most isolated islands, citing Britannica and Desert Island Survival. 

8 Most Isolated Islands

1. Kerguelen Islands 

The Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean are largely uninhabited, although there is a French research station. The station is occasionally manned by scientists. These remote islands consist of mountains, glaciers, rocky outcrops, mosses, and vast plains of tussock grasses. 

The average temperature of the Kerguelen Islands ranges from 2.1 to 8.2 degrees Celsius, making human habitation impossible. Located 3,300 kilometers from Madagascar, these isolated islands are home to albatrosses, terns, seals, and four species of penguins. 

2. Svalbard 

Despite being one of the most isolated islands, Svalbard, previously known as Spitsbergen, is Norway's largest island with an area of approximately 39,044 kilometers. The remote island is also known as the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, located nearly 830 kilometers north of the coast of Europe. Svalbard is an isolated island with a large polar bear population and is covered with both snow and ice. 

3. Pitcairn Island

Located in the British Overseas Territory, Pitcairn Island is best known as the home of the mutineers from the British ship HMS Bounty, who have occupied the remote island since 1790. 

The Pitcairn Islands are said to consist of four volcanic islands, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno, with Henderson being the largest. The isolated island is now the center of one of the world's largest marine protected areas. 

4. Novaya Zemlya 

Novaya Zemlya is one of the most isolated islands comprising two enormous Arctic islands and a number of surrounding islets. The remote islands are located in a Russian-administered archipelago, with the two main islands stretching for 1,000 kilometers and separated by Matochkin Shar. 

Novaya Zemlya was a nuclear test site with more than 100 tests conducted between 1954 and 1990 during the Cold War. 

5. Tristan da Cunha 

Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, Tristan da Cunha consists of remote islands including Inaccessible, Middle, Nightingale, Stoltenhoff, and Gough. This archipelago is located approximately 2,100 kilometers south of St. Helena with a coastline of 34 kilometers and a central volcanic cone. 

Tristan da Cunha is named after the Portuguese explorer, Tristão da Cunha, who discovered the island. 

6. Easter Island 

Also known as Rapa Nui, Easter Island is famous for its enigmatic Moai statues, with over 600 of these figures dotting the landscape. According to the administering government, the island is considered one of the most isolated places on earth. 

Easter Island is the neighboring isolated island of Pitcairn Island, which is over 2,000 kilometers away.

7. South Georgia 

South Georgia, part of the British Overseas Territory, is one of the most isolated islands in the world. Located in the Atlantic section of the Southern Ocean, it is sparsely populated, with only a few scientists stationed at British Antarctic Survey facilities. 

The island has a distinguished history as a base for scientific expeditions, including the grueling journey of British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who first crossed South Georgia in 1916.

8. Diego Garcia 

The largest of the Chagos Archipelago, Diego Garcia is a V-shaped coral island in the heart of the Indian Ocean. As part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, it plays a crucial role as a major air and naval support base for the United States and British militaries due to its strategic location.

Britannica | Desert Island Survival

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