Why is Tristan da Cunha so remote?

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas — the main settlement of Tristan da Cunha island, one of several islands in the British overseas territory — has terrain that is too rocky for an airstrip, making the area only accessible by sea. And planning ahead is key when only nine boat visits are made to the island each year.



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Tristan da Cunha itself is accessible only by sea via a seven-day voyage from Cape Town, South Africa, and the harbour on Inaccessible Island allows access for only a few days of the year. Access to the island must be granted by the local government office.

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Immigration to Tristan is not possible unless you already have a family connection with the island. Even then, there are certain restrictions on residency. It is not possible to buy real estate or property on the islands.

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Vale Do Javari in Brazil is a remote and protected region that is home to uncontacted tribes, making it the least explored place on the planet.

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Hawaii isn't even the most remote archipelago. That distinction belongs to the same Tristan da Cunha, which is 1,740 miles from South Africa, and is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascencion and Tristan da Cunha.

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Tristan da Cunha is a UK Overseas Territories with just 125 cars on the island. The island is situated 1,750 miles from South Africa and only accessible by sea, taking at least six days from Cape Town.

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BFBS - the British Forces Broadcasting Service - and TV services for the US military are available. Volcano Radio carries locally-produced programmes. On Tristan da Cunha, BFBS TV and radio are available. The island's first internet cafe opened in 2006.

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The inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha, a remote island in the South Atlantic, number about 300 and are direct descendants of a small number of individuals who settled there in the first half of the nineteenth century.

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Tristan da Cunha's Settlement site was ideal as a strong stream of pure fresh water known as the Big Watron (thought to be a corruption of 'Watering') rose from a spring at the base of the cliffs, flowed north down the slopes of the Settlement Plain and then cascaded down the low cliffs to the sea.

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Despite Tristan da Cunha's heavy rainfall (over 1600mm at sea level annually), the porous volcanic ash soils mean that most rainfall infiltrates the soil and flows as ground water to springs along the beaches (and in occasional streams on plains including the Big Watron east of The Settlement).

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