Edinburgh tristan da cunha. Tristan da Cunha: The most remote corner of the Earth

How bizarre sometimes the fate of a person, a city, a country develops. Here, it would seem, who would take it into his head to settle on small island in the middle Atlantic Ocean, where the temperature rarely rises above 20 degrees, and of all the sights, only a volcano that occupies the lion's share of an already small area? And go ahead: in all encyclopedias, the island of Tristan da Cunha is listed as the most remote inhabited place on the planet. As many as 269 people live here - and all of them, to one degree or another, are brought by relatives to each other ...
holiday island
Strictly speaking, in 1506, the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha saw through his telescope the whole archipelago. And since he could not land on it, he simply gave his name to the largest island from the group, which also included the islands of Gough, Nightingale and Impregnable. All of them are home to seals, crested penguins and yellow-billed albatrosses, and the Unapproachable is also the home of the Tristan shepherd boy, the smallest flightless bird on Earth. And for this reason, it is especially often visited by scientific expeditions. The main concern of scientists is to preserve the shepherdess for future generations. These birds have few natural enemies, and besides, they have long learned to hide from birds of prey in the bushes. But the unnatural ones - in the form of rats - can easily penetrate Impregnable from Tristan da Cunha and put an end to all endemic splendor. I must say that until Tristan da Cunha was settled by people, there were no pasyukov, no mice there either. These eternal companions of seafarers arrived on the island along with its first inhabitant - the extravagant American Jonathan Lambert, who landed here in January 1811 and appointed himself the ruler of the "Island of Rest". But apparently with independent rest he did not do very well, otherwise why would he agree to the protectorate of England, kindly offered by the English governor of the Cape of Good Hope? So the British flag flew over Tristan for the first time. Further events developed even more interestingly: in 1815, on the island of St. Helena, the same unpleasant piece of land, located 2161 km north of Tristan, the British settled Napoleon. And they decided to place a garrison on Tristan da Cunha in order to cut off possible sea routes for the escape of the disgraced emperor. The island was finally annexed and became part of the British metropolis.
Nine surnames
In 1821, Napoleon passed away, and the garrison was returned to the Cape of Good Hope. It was a happy day for most of the soldiers: they were sick as hell of sitting on an island lost in the ocean, from which to the mainland is almost 3,000 km by water. However, among them there were eccentrics who decided to choose Tristan da Cunha as their home. It's hard to say what exactly they liked here. But the fact remains. Every year there are more and more people here.
All today's settlers are descendants of those eccentrics who settled the island in the 19th century. There are only nine surnames here - and they all became related to each other a long time ago. The Glace family is considered the most ancient on the island - immigrants from the United States have been living on the island since 1816. The English of the Swain have settled here since 1826. The Greens from Holland and the Rogers from the United States became islanders in 1836. Hagans from the United States settled on Tristan da Cunha in 1849, and two Italian families - Repetto and Lavarello - ended up here in 1892. There are also Collins and Squibbs: both of them are the descendants of those same English soldiers who once guarded Napoleon ... It is noteworthy that these warriors chose their wives among the locals - Africans from Cape Town and from St. Helena. Two more brave Irish women arrived here after their chosen ones. And off we go. Now, European-African blood flows in the veins of the entire population of Tristan da Cunha. And 42% of the population suffers from asthma to one degree or another: all thanks to the notorious common ancestors who awarded their offspring with the sore. However, asthma does not prevent the Tristanians from feeling happy. In addition, when almost every second person has it, this is a kind of variant of the norm.
Home Sweet Home
The caring metropolis did not forget its sons and daughters and repeatedly invited them to move to the mainland. And once the Duke of Edinburgh even visited the islanders - with the same proposal. But the Collins and Rogers refused him too. And to sweeten the pill, they named their settlement, which was previously uncomplicatedly called the Settlement, in honor of the duke - Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. Now this beautiful name appears on all maps and atlases of the Earth. As for the islanders, after seeing off the important guest, they returned to their ordinary life, especially since it required everyday work: after all, the Tristanians were stuck in the 19th century. Until 1961, nothing here reminded us that the century of scientific and technological progress was in the yard. No electricity or cars. In order to build a house, representatives of all nine families gathered. Stone boulders were broken out by hand, manually adjusted to each other, and sheaves of New Zealand flax, once brought here, were hoisted onto the roof. Together they cultivated the land owned by the community, together they fished. The Tristanians received news from the mainland only from whalers, who sometimes came here for replenishment of water ... And everything completely suited everyone. But in 1961, the volcano, whose activity had once generated Tristan da Cunha, decided to wake up. Queen Mary Peak began to erupt...

fresh blood
Great Britain, of course, did not abandon its subjects: all representatives of nine families were taken out of the danger zone. So the Tristanians made two trips at once in one: firstly, they ended up in England, and secondly, in the 20th century! They could not even imagine what progress had come to! For 2 whole years - while the volcano raged - they enjoyed modern amenities. And when it was time to return home, they decided that it was time to put an end to Victorian England in a single territory. So Tristan da Cunha entered a new era of its existence - with cars and electric generators. Surprisingly, almost all the Tristanians showed a desire to return home, and some also took new wives and husbands with them. This influx of fresh blood diluted the genetic monotony of the islanders, which once again proved the truth of the saying: "If there were no happiness, but misfortune helped."
Deep relatives
Today, 269 people live in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas - this is 80 families. Each of them has their own house. But, in addition to residential buildings, there is a two-story residence of the main islander, who is elected every few years. 11 council members help him manage the island, among whom there is always at least one woman. There are also two churches on Tristan da Cunha - Anglican and Catholic, as well as a hospital, a school, a supermarket and even a police station, which employs one person. In truth, he has nothing to do alone: ​​there is no crime on the island as such. Bringing each other relatives in one tribe or another, the inhabitants of the island are accustomed to resolving all contentious issues in a family way. So the servant of the law simply has nothing to interfere with. Therefore, it is very animated when a ship from Cape Town arrives at Tristan da Cunha and crew members and tourists go ashore. Everyone needs to be checked. For example, make sure that the visitors brought certificates of no criminal record. This is a prerequisite. Without it, a visit to Tristan da Cunha may be denied. True, due to the peculiarities of the relief, currents and winds prevailing here, there are only nine such flights a year. The rest of the time, the Tristanians are cut off from the mainland. Which seems to be very happy. Yes, compared to the mainland English, they live modestly, even poorly. But on the other hand, they are very friendly: in terms of social equality, no one can compare with Tristan da Cunha. And what kind of lobsters are found here! True, weather conditions allow you to catch them only 70 days a year, but this is enough to eat your fill and earn money for the rest of the year. Dream, not work!

Tristan da Cunha is an island with a poetic name, a trip to which will not be offered by a travel agency. Meanwhile, this piece of land is inhabited. Its population does not even reach three hundred people, but travelers come here in search of peace in the lap wildlife and scientific expeditions.

Territorial affiliation

Geographically, the archipelago belongs to the lands of Great Britain, although it is located almost 9 thousand kilometers from the British capital. This group includes such inhabited islands as Saint Helena (Saint Helena), Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha. The remaining small pieces of land are not populated.

These islands are remote not only from the mainland, but also from each other. So from Tristan da Cunha to Africa lies 2,816 km of ocean surface, and up to South America and even more - 3,360 km. The nearest inhabited island of St. Helena is 2,161 km away.

On the island of Tristan da Cunha is the capital of the archipelago. It is also named quite romantically - Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. This is the only settlement on the island. It has a post office, telegraph, internet, electricity and other benefits of civilization, but no cellular communication.

There are no regular passenger transport flights between the islands. Ascension Island can be reached by military aircraft from the British Kingdom, which can carry a limited number of civilians. But such a trip requires a special permit. Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha are connected only by private sea yachts or fishing boats. Scientific expeditions sometimes use helicopters.

Lost in the ocean

The Tristan da Cunha archipelago is lost in the middle of the Atlantic and is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world. Several tiny islands appeared on the surface of the ocean about a million years ago as a result of volcanic activity.

Flora and fauna

Due to their remoteness from continents and other inhabited islands, an absolutely unique ecosystem has developed on these pieces of land. Many plants, animals and birds are found nowhere else in the world. Therefore, the import of seeds, eggs and any kind of living creatures to these islands is prohibited so as not to disturb the fragile natural balance.

Even though here most the year is quite warm, the island of Tristan da Cunha is not inhabited by butterflies, mammals and reptiles. But here you can see penguins, seals and the smallest flightless bird in the world - the Tristan shepherd boy.

Story

The first records of the archipelago date back to 1506. Then the famous navigator from Portugal, Tristan da Cunha, sailed past these shores. Seeing unknown pieces of land, he put them on the maps, but the navigator did not dare to land on the rocky shores. Apparently, the traveler was not distinguished by modesty, because he named the entire archipelago and one of the islands by his own name.

The first people entered these lands only 261 years after the discovery. These were French sailors from the frigate L "Heure du Berger. But the first settler to appear on the island was in 1810 a native of Massachusetts, whose name was lost in history. He barely lasted two years on these harsh lands.

volcanic island

The main island of the archipelago is Tristan da Cunha with an area of ​​98 km2. It has the highest point - a volcano called Queen Mary's Peak. Its height is 2055 meters. It has erupted twice in the last century: in 1906 and in 1961. Both times the population was evacuated. But as soon as the danger passed, all the settlers returned to the island. During the last eruption, lava destroyed the port and changed coastline. Now it is impossible to approach the island on large ships.

locals

About three hundred people live on the island. These people are friendly and ready to help. The settlement of the island is strictly limited, so anyone can not come here and stay forever. Genetically, almost all the inhabitants of the island are related to each other. There are only 7 names. Because of this, newborns often show genetic abnormalities, which is typical for closed communities like this one.

The main activity of the local population is fishing. Tourists can go out to sea with fishermen for a moderate fee and catch lobster, sardines and other marine life.

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas has a swimming pool, bar, cafes and restaurants where you can sample local cuisine. The island also has a factory for cutting lobsters, which are sent for export.

There is also a police station in which only one representative of the law serves. And you don’t need more: thefts are practically not committed here, and the last murder was recorded in 1876.

Climate

Tristan da Cunha is quite warm. In summer, the average daily temperature is around 20 degrees. And in winter it is plus 14. The temperature minimum registered here is +5 °С. But even in summer, the water is quite cool - 18 °. It rains from May to October.

The island is very windy. The wind blows either from west to east or vice versa. locals for shelter from the elements, they line their homes with New Zealand flax. This herbaceous plant grows to three human heights and serves as a safe haven.

How to get there

To visit the island of Tristan da Cunha, you do not need to apply British visa, but you must request an entry permit from the local authorities, indicating the purpose of the trip and the length of stay. Once approved, tickets must be booked for passenger liner, which departs from Cape Town once a month. A one-way trip takes at least five days. You can also negotiate with fishermen or rent a yacht on your own.

The local currency is valid here. But you can pay in British pounds. It is advisable to cash them out before arriving on the island, although you can find a bank branch in the settlement, but there may be problems with plastic cards.

References in literature

Tristan da Cunha, whose photo can become an illustration for any adventure novel about travelers in distress, was mentioned in the literature. It lies on the famous 37th parallel of the southern hemisphere and the heroes of Jules Verne's novel "Children of Captain Grant" swam on it. And in the work of Herve Bazin, the volcanic eruption and the rescue of the settlers are described. This is the novel "The Lucky from the Isle of Despair".

Napoleon's last resting place

Another island from the archipelago is also historically known - this is the island of St. Helena. Emperor Napoleon spent his last years here. Tourists can see where the disgraced monarch spent the last five years of his life.

Tristan da Cunha is not a place for lovers of parties and sunny beaches. People come here for exotic adventures: to see nature almost untouched by civilization, to live away from megacities with their crowd and frantic rhythm. Here you can watch wild animals in their natural environment. Or go on an amazing sea fishing trip. And in the harbor of Kalshot you can watch whales swimming by. Or take a boat ride on a real not inhabited island feeling like the hero of a novel.

The island of Tristan da Cunha, the passage from South Georgia to which takes three days, is one of the most remote inhabited places on the planet from civilization. And, perhaps, the most inaccessible: connection with big land It is carried out once every one to two months by flights of fishing and research vessels from Cape Town. The island is part of the archipelago of the same name, which is part of the British Overseas Territory.

Some of the islands of the archipelago, including the main one, were discovered in 1506 by the Portuguese Tristan da Cunha, but the first man landed on the islands two and a half centuries later.

In 1810, the English military boat RMS Baltic landed three people on the island, who became its first permanent residents. In 1812, Great Britain declared the archipelago its territory.

Only the most big Island archipelago, Tristan da Cunha. It contains the only city of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, which today has 267 inhabitants. Only ten surnames are used on the island.

Here in this interesting place we're heading. I must say that the remoteness of Tristan has always attracted travelers, but not everyone managed to land on the island. The reason is simple: even with a relatively small wave, landing here is impossible. The only island port is very small and poorly protected from the waves. In almost half of the cases, the already rare cruise ships that come here two or three times a year, after standing in the roadstead for a couple of days, go further: the weather does not allow disembarking passengers.

Will we get lucky?

Tristan da Cunha Island

Cloudy morning. We are approaching the main island of the archipelago. Here it is, the desired and unattainable Tristan. The characteristic volcanic cone is half hidden by fog.

Well, will you accept travelers today?

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas lies on one of the few plains of this volcanic island. Members of the expeditionary team on two Zodiacs are sent to explore ...

… and return with good news: we land on Tristan!

We sit down in the Zodiacs and go to the shore. Even with the slight roughness present this morning, landing from the rocking boats on the quay wall is difficult and proceeds very slowly.

First steps on the island. With a feeling of some kind of unreality of what is happening, I go up the road leading from the port to the city. I feel a feeling of acute novelty, already forgotten for many travels. Is this Tristan da Cunha? Am I here?

And here is the city, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas.

The inhabitants of Tristan are mainly engaged in fishing and agriculture. By the time we arrived, local kids had prepared their drawings and fresh fish sandwiches for sale.

Now I also have a piece of Tristan:

Many buildings are profusely planted with plants, the task of which is to reduce the impact of constant strong winds. This is mainly New Zealand flax, which is considered a weed in other places. And sometimes you can see an almost English garden here (after all, we are on British territory).

Edinburgh has all the infrastructure necessary for life: a school, a hospital, a shop, water supply, two churches and even a swimming pool. There is also a post office, where we will look later. And now we're going out of town. Like many urban residents of the "mainland", the Tristanians have suburban areas where they grow potatoes.

Some of the guests leave the city on the only island bus, which was removed on the occasion of our arrival from the regular route "city - dachas".

The rest of the locals are sorted into their off-road vehicles, placing not only in the cabs, but also in the bodies. Riding in the back has the advantage of good all-round visibility.

The road goes along the coast and through the hills.

There are few plains on the island; the largest is occupied by the Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, and the second largest is just summer cottages. Here cows graze and potatoes are grown. Here the townspeople go to relax in nature.

We return to the city. The center of social life in Tristan is the post office, which also houses a cafe, a small museum and a gift shop.

As usual, in such places there are many people (including me) who want to send postcards with rare stamps and envelopes to their homes and friends.

It is most convenient to sign addresses while sitting over a cup of coffee, because, as I mentioned, there is a cafe in the post office. By the way, it also sells local beer, although it tastes a bit different from beer.

Such a large number of people who want to send letters to big land only comes here a couple of times a year. But the wonderful postal workers did an excellent job.

The people of Tristan are friendly, somewhat shy, and love their island. Even those who leave to get university education in the UK, most often then return home.

There was a case in the history of the island when the entire population had to be evacuated due to a volcanic eruption. This happened in 1961, when the Tristanians were taken first to South Africa, then to Great Britain.

There, stories sometimes happened to the islanders explaining why they felt uncomfortable on the “mainland”. One example: a woman bought groceries in a store and waited for a bus. But then I decided to drink coffee, and, leaving a full bag at the bus stop, I went to a cafe. Returning and not finding the bag, the woman could not understand for a long time where she could go. After all, it is unthinkable for an islander to take someone else's.

Despite good accommodations and offers to stay, almost all of the evacuees returned to Tristan once the threat had passed. This happened only two years after the evacuation. Returning, the islanders found their city unscathed. But the eruption did not spare the fish factory and the local port, burying them under lava flows.

That is why now a small and inconvenient harbor is used to get to the island - the old one no longer exists. Small fishing boats periodically go out to sea from it.

It's time to get back on board. Landing in the Zodiacs is delayed due to excitement. A local fisherman is happy to show freshly caught lobsters to those waiting in line.

We return. The wind is getting stronger. The ship is noticeably swaying on the wave. Transfer from the Zodiacs to the board turns into a wet extreme adventure. But such moments are part of almost any expedition cruise.

We were lucky. If we had approached Tristan a few hours later, disembarkation would have been impossible.

Tristan da Cunha remains astern. We are heading for the uninhabited island of Nightingale, located in the zone of view, where, with luck, we too can land on the shore.

Nightingale Island (Nightingale Island)

The island is inhabited by rare crested penguins, as well as yellow-nosed albatrosses.

We land on the shore and go in small groups to the habitat of crested penguins.

Nightingale Island, or Nightingale Island, is an even less visited place than Tristan da Cunha. This is not surprising: in addition to remoteness, lack of transport and civilization, there is one more thing: moving around the island requires a certain amount of physical fitness. Our path through the island turned out to be continuous rugged terrain with steep ascents and descents.

In some places it was impossible to climb without a rope fixed at the top.

Along the way, you need to look under your feet and not step on albatross chicks, which sometimes get in the way.

Here is a colony of crested penguins. They are small and live on rocks. Because of the bright yellow feathers on their heads, they are also called rocky golden-haired penguins.

And this is another local rarity - the Tristan thrush:

While we were on the island, a wave broke out. But it's one thing to cancel a landing, but how do you cancel a return on board? By the way, such a case was with one of the ships of the Holland America Line company, when, due to strong waves, about a thousand tourists stayed overnight on the shore in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. The Falklanders still remember this incident: some of the tourists were then taken home by local residents, and some went to spend the night in the gym of a local school.

But there are no schools or locals on Nightingale, and you can only spend the night here under open sky. So let's get back on board.

For the transfer of tourists, the Zodiac approaches the landing site at the side of the ship. I will illustrate what is the danger of transferring people from a boat to this site during waves. So, the Zodiac carefully approached the site, people are ready to go to it ...

In a fraction of a second, the Zodiac, having fallen into the hollow of the wave, finds itself in this position:

Now what does it look like from the Zodiac. It seems that they pulled up to the site, you can land ...

... and bam - the Zodiac with people in an instant turns out to be a meter lower.

After several attempts to start landing, our Zodiac, having failed once again, dragged a crew member from the platform into the water. He was quickly pulled out, but landing attempts on this were stopped.

We drift along with other Zodiacs next to the ship and wait for a “window” in the weather.

It was almost dark when we got on board.

We return to Tristan. While the paperwork is being processed and the representatives of the island administration, who accompanied us to Nightingale, are disembarking, we are standing in the roadstead. All around is silence, at a distance the lights of the night Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. And you even begin to get used to the fact that the inaccessible Tristan is not at all inaccessible, but here he is, nearby and shines for you with his lights, as, for example, the evening Yaroslavl could shine for the passengers of the Volga ship.

Gough Island

In the early morning we weigh anchor and head south towards Gough Island. This island is officially uninhabited, but a small South African weather station operates there. Gough hosts the largest seabird colonies in the area, including the rare Tristan albatross.

The problem of the island is mice, once brought here by sailors. They cause great harm to the albatross population. Mice eat albatross chicks alive, gradually pulling out pieces of meat from them over the course of two to three days. Now a deratization program is being launched on Gof, as part of which all mice on the island will be destroyed (after all, if at least a few individuals remain alive, they can quickly reproduce the population). Similar programs have already been successfully carried out by biologists on other islands in the Atlantic and Pacific.

The passage to Gough lasts ten hours. The sea is very restless; waves flood the windows of the observation saloon on the upper (seventh) deck. The chances of landing on Gof are slim.

Finally, an island appeared from the veil of bad weather ...

We are approaching it ... No, a landing under such conditions is unthinkable. And even to come closer to see the birds will not work. But we saw Gough!

We leave back, towards Tristan.

Impregnable Island

Early in the morning we are already at the island of Impregnable. This is Tristan's next door neighbor. Impregnable got its name because of the difficulty of hitting it: the island is surrounded by rocks on all sides. Seals and various rare birds live here, such as the Tristan shepherd.

The weather in these parts changes instantly. It seems that the island was just covered with fog, and half an hour later the bright sun shines.

The sea has calmed down, and I can’t even believe that there was a storm here yesterday.

Having circled around the Unapproachable, we head to Tristan, who is in sight. The plan now is this: since the landing on Gough did not work out, we will try a second time to land on Tristan. Sounds interesting. By the way, has anyone done this (two landings on Tristan) before us?

Tristan da Cunha Island

Tristan, as usual, is surrounded by clouds of fog. Now it is not the presence of Tristan in almost constant visibility that is surprising, but the fact that I am used to it.

We stand on the roadstead opposite Edinburgh of the Seven Seas and wait for the wind to subside. In the meantime, we watch how the waves break on the piers at the entrance to the port. Landing ashore under such conditions is not possible.

The weather did not improve. Well, landing on Tristan this time will not work, but it’s a sin to complain, because the day before yesterday we spent several wonderful hours on the island.

We're going to the ocean. There are five “sea days” ahead and the end point of our journey is Cape Town.

For some, it’s different, but for me, days at sea are never monotonous. Time passes in conversations, reflections, and just admiring the ocean, which is constantly changing.

It has not dawned yet, but we are already approaching the capital South Africa. Ocean crossing successfully completed. We visited, in and on the islands of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago. It is rightly said about such trips that they happen once in a lifetime.

The story about Cape Town and its environs does not fall on the topic of this story, but who cares - ten years ago I went from this city to St. Helena, and made about Cape Town small photo report.

I want to say thank you to everyone who read all three parts of my story about crossing the Atlantic south. For me it was a very interesting, one might even say epic journey. What and all I wish!

“... another day passed, and at dawn the voice of the sailor on duty was suddenly heard.
"Earth!" he shouted.
A spyglass emerged from the hatch. Jacques Paganel pointed his instrument in the indicated direction, but saw nothing there that looked like earth.
"Look at the clouds," John Mangles advised him.
“Indeed,” said Paganel, “something like a cliff looms there.”
"This is Tristan da Cunha," announced John Mangles...
"Children of Captain Grant", Jules Verne

Have you ever heard of Tristan da Cunha? If not, don't be discouraged, because the people who live on it have probably never heard of you either. The Tristan da Cunha archipelago, located in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean, is the most remote inhabited place on the planet. Its closest "neighbor" is the island of St. Helena, located 2430 kilometers from the archipelago, known as a place of exile and recent years the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Tristan da Cunha consists of several islands - Tristan itself, the largest and only inhabited island, Nightingale Island and Impregnable Island, Gough and many small islands. The coast of South Africa is more than 2800 kilometers from here, and all ten to London!

The history of the islands begins in 1506, when the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha saw them through a telescope and forever left his name here. For various reasons, Tristan did not manage to walk along the skeletons, so they were the first to set foot on the “most remote land” only in 1767, and they were the French. Despite this, he named the island after himself - Tristan da Cunha. The first settler of the island was the American Jonathan Lambert, who landed on the shore in January 1811. He named himself the ruler of the island and renamed it "Rest Island".

When the English governor of the Cape of Good Hope learned that the island had already been colonized, he offered Lambert a protectorate of England. Lambert agreed and raised the British flag over Tristan. However, two years later, Lambert died in a shipwreck, and the island was given its former name.

In 1815, on Saint Helena, an equally lonely piece of land thousands of miles to the north, the British settled Napoleon. And to protect possible sea ​​routes his escape from there, it was decided to put a garrison on Tristan da Cunha. The small, fledgling American colony took this as a gift from heaven, and recognized British sovereignty over this island.

In 1821, Napoleon died, and the garrison was transferred to the Cape of Good Hope.

The main island of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago is the only island where there is a permanent population. Center - village Edinburgh of the Seven Seas(Edinburgh of the Seven Seas) with a population of about 300 (2005). But the locals just call it settlement(settlement). And the locals use their ceremonial names as rarely as they use their surnames, of which there are only seven or eight here: almost all families have long been related to each other. Neither give nor take - Noah's Ark. The oldest families on the island are Glass (immigrants from the USA, since 1816 on the island), Swain (immigrants from England, since 1826), Green (from Holland since 1836), Rogers (from the USA since 1836), Hagan ( USA, 1849), Repetto and Lavarello (both families from Italy since 1892).

Other settlements are just scientific bases and weather stations.

Today, Tristan da Cunha is a British overseas colony that has not yet demanded independence, but all because the inhabitants of the island value their historical connection with Great Britain. The island is administered by the Governor of Saint Helena, who appoints an Administrator to represent him in the archipelago.

Well, all right, people do not live on the same continents, but these islands are so far from sea ​​routes that ships go there no more than once a month. The rest of the time, all 300 residents of the only city of the islands "Edinburgh of the Seven Seas" are left to their own devices, and they cope excellently with the elements, and with diseases, and with work and unemployment. Just kidding - they don't have unemployment.

Most of the residents are engaged in farming, the rest serve government facilities - weather stations and some other towers inherited from Mother Britain. But what is interesting is that the land is constantly redistributed among the members of the community in order to avoid the accidental enrichment of a random family due to the accidental capture of the best plot. Since all the Tristanians are distant and close relatives, they decide their affairs in a family way, without involving any "committees on the rights of black-browed and red-cheeked", and they do it in the highest degree charmingly. The island is ruled by an elected Chief Islander and eleven members of the Council, there are no more General Courts and Memorial Chambers. But the islanders are so peaceful and benevolent people that litigation between them is from the realm of complete fantasy.

All tourists who want to go to Tristan da Cunha must first obtain permission from the Administrator and the Council and take with them a police certificate of no criminal record (with translation into English). To do this, write a letter to the secretary of the Administrator [email protected] and indicate when you plan to arrive, where you intend to stay and what is the purpose of your visit. You must also have medical insurance with you, which will cover the costs of treatment and evacuation to Cape Town, and sufficient funds. Once the Board has given you permission, the Administrator's secretary will contact you and assist you in booking boat tickets from Cape Town.

A visa is not required, but all tourists must have a passport with them, which will be stamped upon arrival. In addition, you need to pay a fee: for passengers cruise liners- 30 pounds, and for fishing boats - 20 pounds. Finally, you need to know that here the import of food and alcohol is very strictly controlled. So, for example, tourists are allowed to bring only 4 liters of beer with them.

Tristan da Cunha has no airport and no sea harbor (in 1961 it was destroyed by the eruption of the Queen Mary Peak volcano).

You can get here only through the port, which is used by fishing boats, ferries and scientific expeditions. Travel to the island from the nearest big city– Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, takes six days one way. Currently, Ovenstone, which owns several fishing vessels - Edinburgh, MV Baltic Trader and SA Agulhas, transports tourists on the route Cape Town - Tristan da Cunha - Cape Town. The flight schedule can be checked on the website. On average, the cost of a round-trip ticket is about a thousand US dollars.

Tristan da Cunha is an island of volcanic origin. The inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha are tightly tied to their homeland. When in 1961 the volcano seriously damaged the fish factory and the local atmosphere, the people were evacuated to Britain and to the island of St. Helena, which is nearby (some thousand kilometers is a mere trifle). It would seem that civilization will inevitably absorb the provincials with its tenacious advantages. But no, as soon as the military island was repaired, the population in full strength returned to their “most remote from the whole world” homes. And, probably, they can be understood - they have peace and grace there, a piece of paradise on Earth, albeit without frills, but also without racial hatred, terrorism, crime, corruption and other "benefits" of the modern world.

Only a small part of the island is available for life, on the northern side of which is the capital of the archipelago - "Edinburgh of the Seven Seas", and the locals like to call it simply "The Settlement". Currently, Tristan da Cunha is home to 261 people who proudly call it their home. All of them are descendants of American, Italian, Dutch settlers. There is a ban on the settlement of new residents on the island, so the population here fluctuates slightly. This leads to another problem - for more than 200 years, closely related incest has occurred on the island, which still leads to serious genetic diseases. Recently, marriages between close relatives (cousins) were officially banned, and now residents are faced with another problem: many have to wait several years for their future husband or wife to “grow up”. However, this is a common problem for all such societies.

The official language in Tristan da Cunha is English, but there are several dialects that originated from the fact that the first settlers did not originally speak English language. Tristanians profess Christianity (Anglicanism and Catholicism). The island has telephones, television and Internet access.

A few words about the economy. The main source of income for residents is the factory for catching and processing lobsters and lobsters, which closely cooperates and sells its products to Japan and the USA, although now the turnover with the Americans has dropped significantly, complicating the already difficult life of the inhabitants of Tristan. In addition, Tristan da Cunha sells coins and postage stamps worldwide, which are very rare and highly valued by collectors. The local currency is the British pound sterling. Credit cards are not accepted, and travelers checks and foreign currencies (Euros, Dollars, South African rands) can be exchanged at the local treasury.

All land is in common use. No one can buy it here, not even Bill Gates and Roman Abramovich. All families are engaged in farming, growing vegetables, and cattle breeding. By the way, the number of livestock is strictly controlled in order to preserve pastures and prevent individual families from accumulating wealth. In other words, there is complete equality here.

The island has a school, post office, museum, cafe, two churches, a supermarket and a tourist center. The local branch of the clinic provides free medical care to all residents, many of whom suffer from the same genetic diseases caused by the previously mentioned incest. And most importantly, there is no crime, corruption, or murder on the island. Complete idyll, right?

You need to book accommodation on the island in advance by contacting the Secretary of the Administrator (it is worth noting that you will often contact him, all communication with the "outside world" for the Tristanians goes through him). He can advise you and help you with your booking. Two types of accommodation are available for tourists - in a home family with full board (cost - 40 pounds \ night), three meals a day, laundry services and guest house(there are six of them on the island), which can be booked for any period (cost 20 pounds \ night + meals).

At the local tourist center, you can buy a postcard and send it to your friends. But you will be told right away that delivery can take several months. Although the Russians, probably, should not be very upset, because we have long been accustomed to the "super-speed" work of the Russian Post.

Tristan da Cunha has a number of activities and excursions for tourists, which can be specially organized by local guides. All inquiries should be directed to Tourism Coordinator Dawn Repetto via email [email protected]

Among the most favorite tourist attractions in Tristan da Cunha, there are three. The first is the conquest of the summit of the volcano Queen Mary Peak. All excursions that take place outside Edinburgh of the Seven Seas require the obligatory presence of a local guide (for the safety of tourists and the preservation of wildlife). The second is crested penguins (Rockhopper penguins), which arrange their nests on the rocks and coastal slopes, and after the traditional January molt, return to the sea.

The third, and perhaps the most unique, is a trip to neighboring uninhabited islands archipelago. For example, on a fishing boat you can visit Nightingale Island or Impregnable Island, but again, you must first coordinate the excursion with the administration of Tristan. You can also go to Gough Island, which, like Inaccessible, was declared a wildlife sanctuary by UNESCO in 1995. This island was discovered by the navigator Gough in 1731. It belongs to the British maritime possessions, but the only inhabitants of the island are members of the South Atlantic meteorological station. SANAP, which, in agreement with the British government, was placed here in 1956.

Tristan da Cunha does not exist organized tours, no hotels, no airport, no nightclubs and expensive restaurants, and no normal permanent transport links. However, he is one of the most unusual places for independent travelers who are determined to discover something new and unknown. Many who come here decide to stay for a long time (for several months), realizing that they have found something that they previously lacked so much. Most importantly, remember that a trip to Tristan da Cunha must be planned in advance, not two or three months in advance, but at least a year in advance.

Such increased attention to these islands at that time was by no means accidental. They were favorably located on the routes connecting old light and India and, moreover, were under the protectorate of England, which made them very visited. But the rapid flourishing of Tristan da Cunha came to an end with the construction of the Suez Canal. The settlers who settled on the island did not want to return to the mainland under any pretext, so some of them were “attached” for scientific research, while the rest are engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and handicrafts.

You can only go there for tourist purposes to expand your geographical horizons - there is absolutely nothing to see there. Of the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe island, a small piece of land in the north is habitable, the rest is a volcano, which over the past 100 years has reminded of itself four times. In addition to Tristan da Cunha, there are three smaller islands in the archipelago and many hillocks above sea level, which the language does not dare to call an island. So - everything except Tristan does not have permanent residents.

Tristan is still registered to Britain, but this is more nominal, just so as not to be "passportless" and not to produce another independent island state from who knows what.

The social system of the island is real communism. Even at the very beginning of the colony corporal Grass formulated something like a constitution. Its provisions were determined by the ideas of the French Revolution: freedom, equality, fraternity. And it is still accepted here. The whole community will build a house for the newlyweds here. If the harvest is bad, the neighbors will share theirs. Among applicants for a job, the one who previously earned less gets the job. Health care and education are free.

For the last 60 years, the island has been governed by a council of 10 people and the head of the council, who is also approved by the governor of the British island of St. Helena. Since the commune on the island is tiny, the local politics are in full view here: the reins of government are held by representatives of the most ancient families of immigrants to the island (in fact, the island is a very simplified model of countries of the resettlement type). Of the 11 members of the council, the head is a representative of the Lavarello clan, the council consists of 4 representatives of the Repetto clan, 3 of the Green clan, 1 of the Rogers clan, 2 of the Glass clan. In total, the conditional "Italians" out of 11 places have 5, the "Americans" - 3, the Dutch - 3 places. As you can see, there was no place for the “English”.

However, according to local political scientists, the current rise in the influence of Italian clans is a purely temporary phenomenon. Jan Lavarello generally became the first representative of his clan, who was appointed to the post of chairman of the council.

Avoiding community work is not accepted. She is always there: to fix the road, to help in the construction of the house, to crush the lava, from which bricks will then be made. The entire list of work required for the community is compiled by the British manager.

There is little that can catch the Council, and indeed all the rest of the inhabitants of the island, by surprise, because for any conceivable situation they have an iron rule in reserve: to remember how the older generations of settlers acted in such cases. Traditions are the basis on which all actions are based here. Why build a new restaurant building on the island? It would be better to leave everything as it is: how many years did you live without a restaurant, and why is it needed now? Why build a new building for the government? After all, the old one is still quite good. What's the use of a satellite phone? After all, if something happens - a ship from Cape Town to best case will be here in a week. In 1906, a volcanic eruption occurred, resulting in the death of livestock and potato plantations. People were resettled in Cape Town. As can be seen from these facts, all external relations of the island have long been closed to the support of the authorities from another British colony, the Cape of Good Hope (now a province of South Africa).

This year, the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha first saw the archipelago, but his team did not go to land. In honor of this discoverer captain, one of the islands was named. And in 1767, sailors landed on Tristan da Cunha for the first time from the French frigate Time Berger.

1. Where

In the south of the Atlantic Ocean, 2161 kilometers from the nearest inhabited land (Saint Helena) and 2816 kilometers from the mainland (the territory of the Republic of South Africa). Tristan da Cunha belongs to the British overseas territories, its coordinates are 37.06:12.16.

2. What

Tristan da Cunha (area 98 sq. km) is part of the archipelago of the same name, around six more islands. There is one single city, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, where 264 people live permanently. Local residents are farmers and fishermen, they keep chickens, sheep, cows, and also grow potatoes and go out into the ocean to catch their catch. The climate on the island is windy and rainy, and the coast is rocky, you can land only in a strictly defined place (where Edinburgh is located). Due to its remoteness from the mainland, many endemic plants grow on Tristan da Cunha. And only here is found the smallest of the flightless birds - the dark gray Tristan shepherd, only 15 centimeters long.

3. How to get there

There is no airport on the island, communication with the rest of the world is through scientific and fishing vessels. To get to the place, you need to fly to Cape Town and take one of the Ovenstone ships (you can see the schedule on tristandc.com). The ticket costs about a thousand dollars round-trip, and the travel time is six days one way.

4. Person

French botanist. He specialized in fern-like plants, looking for them in the farthest corners of the planet. In 1792, for example, he visited the island of Mauritius and made a map of it. And in 1793, 35-year-old Louis arrived on Tristan da Cunha and was the first to try to conquer the most high point islands - Queen Mary Peak (2062 meters). Then the mountain did not submit to botany, but now climbing the peak is a standard route that tourists can easily overcome in six hours.

With my own eyes

videographer, St. Petersburg

I came here for work, we filmed fishing boats and stayed on the island for three weeks. There is no at all tourism infrastructure, not a single restaurant, bar. There is only one guest house and one cafe. On the whole island, only a small piece of land is comfortable for living - the one where the city is located. And around - the mountains, covered with fog. At some point, I suddenly became imbued with all this and thought: how great is our human species, if we not only got to such a distant place on the planet, but also mastered it and began to grow potatoes here! By the way, there is a post office on the island: I sent a postcard to my wife, which arrived three months later, when I had already returned.