Tristan da Cunha : alone in the Atlantic

Tristan da Cunha  is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean. It is the most remote inhabited island in the world, lying 2,816 kilometres (1,750 mi) from the nearest land, South Africa, and 3,360 kilometres (2,088 mi) from South America.

 The territory consists of the main island of Tristan da Cunha itself, which measures about 11.27 kilometres (7.0 mi) across and has an area of 98 square kilometres (37.8 sq mi), along with the uninhabited Nightingale Islands and the wildlife reserves of Inaccessible Island and Gough Island. It has a permanent population of 275. 

Tristan da Cunha is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Saint Helena 2,430 kilometres (1,510 mi) to its north, and equatorial Ascension Island even farther removed, grouping the British South Atlantic islands into one far-flung centrally administered aggregate. 

The islands were first sighted in 1506 by Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha, although rough seas prevented a landing. He named the main island after himself, Ilha de Tristão da Cunha, which was later anglicised to Tristan da Cunha Island.

The 40 kms of coastline is exposed to the storm tossed seas, comprising magnificient basalt cliffs, some is rising steeply to 600 meters. The surrounding seas are rich in fish, providing Tristan da Cunha with one of its main sources of revenue - crawfish. Caught and deep frozen, the crawfish is shipped via South Africa to the United States and Japan, where it is much appreciated as a delicacy.

The other main source of income of the island is the sale of postage stamps, which are collected by numerous philatelists and collectors all over the world.

The Settlement of Edinburgh, the capital,  now numbers just over 300 proud and hospitable people with only seven surnames among them. Through the islanders veins flows the blood of English sailors from Nelson's fleet, Americans, Italians, Dutch and mulattos from St Helena and South Africa. English is the native tongue, albeit a slightly strange, preserved Georgian dialect laced with a few early Americanisms.

Tristan da Cunha with its neighbouring islands, Inaccessible and Nightingale, is an ornthologists dream with fourteen different types of petrel including the greater shearwater, the prion and the storm petrel; the rockhopper penguins; the yellowed-nosed albatross and the wandering albatross.

The Settlement of Edinburgh has a distict air of yesteryear about it, although it has all the moderna conveniences of mains water, electricity and sanitation. There is a small but interesting museum, a craft shop, a swimmingpool and a radio-station. There are old style local shops, and a large supermarket.

Life in Tristan da Cunha has strong family loyalties and high moral standards. The island is self supporting with a thriving economy, the people well provided for with income tax less than a pound per annum. Serious crime is unknown, unemployment is virtually non-existent. In 1961 a dramatic volcanic eruption forced the evacuation of the entire island, They were taken to what we glibly refer to as 'civilisation'. Almost all chose to return to the island when the the eruption was over.