Buzz
Here’s a list of islands that stand out for their distinctiveness or importance. The order from ten to one is somewhat subjective, as each island is special in its own way, and it’s hard to truly rank them—it’s like asking whether 'Stairway to Heaven' or 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik' is the better song. In other words, this isn’t exactly a traditional countdown. These islands were selected, in part, for their rarity, which is why famous spots like Easter Island are left off the list—everyone already knows about it!
10. Ni’ihau
Ni’ihau, the westernmost of the major Hawaiian islands, stands apart from the others due to its status as a privately owned island. In 1864, Elizabeth Sinclair bought it from the Kingdom of Hawaii. Because the island is almost entirely closed off to the public, it has earned the nickname 'The Forbidden Isle.' However, in recent years, limited tourism has been allowed, mainly in the form of safaris. With a population of about 130 people, most of the inhabitants speak Hawai’ian as their first language, although English is also commonly used.
9. Attu Island
Another island located at the far western end, Attu Island is the most remote in the Aleutian Islands chain in Alaska. Despite being the westernmost island of the Aleutians, it lies in the Eastern hemisphere. With a population of just twenty, the residents work at Attu Station, a United States Coast Guard LORAN (Long Range Aid to Navigation) facility. Besides being the last island in the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Aleutian chain, Attu is notable as the site of the only land-based combat on American soil during World War II.
8. Monuriki Island
Monuriki is a small, uninhabited island located in Fiji's Mamanuca Island group. Although it might not stand out for any particular reason, it gained worldwide fame when it served as the main filming location for the 2000 Tom Hanks movie, 'Cast Away.' In the film, the island is depicted as completely isolated, though in reality, there are several other islands nearby, including Tavua, home to around 2,400 people. Today, Monuriki is a sought-after tourist spot, thanks to its connection to the movie.
7. Navassa Island
Navassa is an uninhabited island in the Caribbean, situated about thirty miles west of Haiti and ninety miles south of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Its coastline is made up entirely of steep cliffs, making it impossible to land by boat. The United States claimed the island in 1857 and spent many years mining its rich guano deposits. Today, it is designated as a nature reserve, and entry requires rare permission from the U.S. government. Navassa is also part of a territorial dispute, as Haiti also claims ownership of it.
6. Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, located north of Scandinavia. A Norwegian territory, it is home to Longyearbyen, one of the most northern permanent settlements in the world. As a result, Spitsbergen is known for hosting many 'world’s northernmost' landmarks, including the most northern church and the most northern airport. Because of the threat posed by polar bears, anyone traveling outside of Longyearbyen is legally required to carry a rifle. Additionally, Spitsbergen is home to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a facility that stores plant seeds to safeguard biodiversity in the event of a global catastrophe.
5. Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra is a group of small islands located about halfway between Hawaii and Samoa. The largest island, Cooper Island, is privately owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, while the rest are under the jurisdiction of the United States federal government and managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. A small team of government scientists and Nature Conservancy volunteers work on the islands for conservation and research purposes. In 1974, Palmyra became infamous as the site of a double murder, which was later recounted in Vincent Bugliosi’s bestselling true crime book, 'And the Sea Will Tell.'
4. Howland Island
Howland Island is situated roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia, just about fifty miles north of the equator. Like many small islands in the Pacific, it was claimed by the United States and its guano deposits were mined. There was an attempt at colonization, but this was interrupted during World War II when Japanese bombers attacked the island the day after Pearl Harbor was struck, resulting in the deaths of two colonists and the evacuation of the others. No further attempts at colonization were made post-war. Today, Howland Island is a nature reserve and is most famously remembered as the place where Amelia Earhart was supposed to stop on her around-the-world flight, but never arrived.
3. North Sentinel Island
North Sentinel Island is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Smith Island in the Bay of Bengal. Covering roughly 28 square miles (72 square kilometers), it is mostly covered in dense forest, with only narrow strips of beach surrounding the island. While the island itself is largely unremarkable, it is home to one of the last remaining uncontacted tribes in the world. The Sentinelese are fiercely protective of their isolation and react aggressively to outsiders, often shooting arrows at boats and helicopters that approach, sometimes resulting in deaths. Due to their isolation and the difficulty in observing the island from the air, very little is known about the Sentinelese, including their language, culture, or population size. While technically part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory, the local government has stated that it will leave the island undisturbed, effectively granting it autonomy.
2. Bouvet Island
Bouvet is a 19 square mile (49 square kilometer) volcanic island located in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 1,550 miles (2,500 kilometers) south-southwest of South Africa. Nearly entirely covered in ice, Bouvet’s coastline is made up of steep cliffs, making it difficult to land. Originally a British territory, the UK relinquished its claim to the island, which was then ceded to Norway, which now designates it as a nature reserve. The island has never been inhabited, and it is unlikely that it ever will be. Despite this, Bouvet holds its own top-level Internet domain, .bv, which is not in use. Bouvet is known as the most remote island in the world, with the nearest land, Queen Maud Land in Antarctica, located about 1,100 miles (1,750 kilometers) to the south. Adventure seekers and amateur radio enthusiasts (using the island’s prefix 3Y) are among those who visit the island.
1. Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Island is the sole inhabited island among the four in the Pitcairn Islands group, and it remains the last British overseas territory in the Pacific. With a population of only around fifty people, Pitcairn is the least populous and most isolated jurisdiction in the world, situated about 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) west of Chile. Its inhabitants are descendants of the mutineers from the HMS Bounty and the Polynesians who joined them. The charred remains of the Bounty are still visible beneath the waters of Bounty Bay. Pitcairn is known for producing some of the finest honey in the world, so much so that even the Queen has acknowledged its quality. However, if you plan to buy some through their website, be prepared for a lengthy wait. Pitcairn has no airport, and with Bounty Bay being small and shallow, the island is visited and supplied only on rare occasions. Mail deliveries can be delayed for months, and I personally ordered honey a couple of months ago, only to be told it will be another month before it even leaves the island. Pitcairn has many other unique features, making it hard to decide which ones to mention and which to leave out!
