The World's Smallest Inhabited Island

When exploring Just Room Enough Island, visitors must proceed with extreme caution as “a slight misstep and you'll find yourself swimming”.

The World's Smallest Inhabited Island

Once recognized by the Guinness World Records as the smallest inhabited island in the world, Bishop Rock is a solitary lighthouse situated in the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom. However, after undergoing renovations in 1982, Bishop Rock was abandoned. Since then, the title of the smallest inhabited island on Earth belongs to a floating platform on the St. Lawrence River in New York state.

According to statistics, the Thousand Islands region, located on the border between the United States and Canada, encompasses 1,864 islands. Locals conventionally consider the scattered patches of land in this vast expanse of water as part of the Thousand Islands collective, provided they rise above the water level of the St. Lawrence River annually and have sufficient land to grow two tall trees or shrubs.

In the 1950s, a wealthy Sizeland family acquired Hub Island, one of the tiniest islands in the area. According to Google Maps' water level measurement, Just Room Enough spans approximately 306 square meters, equivalent to half the area of Bishop Rock during low tide.

The Sizeland family made the most of the available land by planting a tree and constructing a small house. The new owner renamed the island Hub to 'Just Room Enough,' symbolizing its compact size.

The Sizeland family's dream of a secluded weekend retreat seemed nearly impossible to achieve. The house and island quickly became a popular tourist destination, attracting sightseers on the river. The Washington Post once reported that visitors must be extremely cautious when visiting the island, as 'one wrong step, and you'll find yourself swimming.'

Source: Phuong Anh/ Vnexpress

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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide