If you've been following Neatorama for a while, you are familiar with Tristan da Cunha, a tiny island in the middle of the widest part of the Atlantic Ocean. The British territory is 38 square miles and has one town, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, with about 250 residents. There is no airstrip, and ships arrive only about once a month or so. The island has a school, a doctor, and internet access.
On such a remote island with a small population, you'd think that life would be slow and bucolic, but nothing is further from the truth. There are so many tasks necessary for community life that everyone learns to pitch in and multi-task. Residents fish, process seafood, care for livestock, tend to gardens, repair homes, help out at the school, and run the government. When a ship arrives with supplies and a limited number of tourists, everyone knows what their job is. NPR has a lovely multi-media presentation that shows us what everyday life is like for the few dozen residents of Tristan da Cunha. That life is not for everyone. -via Nag on the Lake
(Image credit: The Official CTBTO Photostream)
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People can't just show-up. Tourism is restricted: "a trip must be planned months in advance, and only after a visit request is approved by the Island Council."
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I fear that they might become subject to the 'Streisand Effect', where advertising their peaceful solitude brings thousands of tourists visiting just because 'it's special'.
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Oops! Sorry about that. I fixed it.
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Tristan da Cunha is in the Atlantic
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It seems like a fascinating place and I hope I get the opportunity to go see it some day. I never realized that the entire island is dependent on Diesel fuel for their electricity.
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