In case you haven’t noticed, the world is getting crowded and continues to get worse with overpopulation in many parts of the world. Combined with the fact that we are rapidly depleting our natural resources, this is causing many people to experience the feeling that they just want to get away from it all. If you’re one of those people, you might be in luck, and you won’t even have to wait until we colonise Mars!Despite the overcrowding of urban areas, there are still plenty of places right here on this planet that are uninhabited and isolated. If you’ve ever daydreamed about taking refuge on a deserted island, the following seven islands are a good place to start your search for tranquility.
De Long Islands, RussiaDe Long Islands: There are five uninhabited islands within a larger area called the New Siberian Islands, which are located north of the East Siberian coast. Historically there was some debate about who had control over this group of islands, with some saying that they belonged to the United States, but they are now controlled by the Sakha Republic of Russia. The De Long Islands are currently covered by icy glaciers, but who knows how inhabitable they may become as the earth continues to warm up.
Blasket Islands, IrelandBlasket Islands: This chain of islands just off the coast of the Dingle Peninsula in south west Ireland has an interesting history because it was once populated by a group of creative people who produced a series of books about island life here. However, the population of the islands dwindled and the area was eventually abandoned in 1953; Blasket Islands remain uninhabited to this day. Ferry tours are available if you want to see some of the main islands in the chain, but there are several smaller islands that remain untouched.
Uninhabited Islands of the Maldives, Indian OceanUninhabited Islands of the Maldives: You’re probably already familiar with the Maldive Islands because they’re a stunningly beautiful place that has recently become a popular tourist destination. But did you know that this area consists of over 1,000 islands and that less than a quarter of them are populated by humans? That leaves over 800 small islands in the Maldives uninhabited; at least one of those must be a great place for you to go to get away from people!
Phoenix Islands, KiribatiPhoenix Islands: The Phoenix Islands are a group of eight atolls and two submerged coral reef islands under the jurisdiction of the government of Kiribati. At the beginning of 2008, the government declared this a protected area; it is now the largest marine protected area in the world.
Heard Island & McDonald Islands, AustraliaHeard Island & McDonald Islands: These two islands located off of the coast of Australia may be deserted but they get a lot of attention from travellers nonetheless. That’s because these are the sites of the only two active volcanoes in this part of the world; one of these volcanoes, Mawson Peak, is the highest mountain in Australia. It certainly offers an impressive addition to the landscape, but are you sure that you would want to live here?
Canadian Arctic Archipelago, CanadaCanadian Arctic Archipelago: Travel to the northernmost part of Canada and you will find a series of nearly one hundred islands that make up this arctic archipelago. You might think that no one would live here at all due to the freezing cold temperatures but many of the islands have communities located on them. Nevertheless, there are quite a few uninhabited islands here. In fact, nine of the fifteen largest islands in this area have a population of zero.
San Juan Islands, United StatesSan Juan Islands: In the north west corner of the United States is a set of over four hundred islands called the San Juan Islands that are considered to be a part of the state of Washington. Some of these islands can be reached by ferry but only about one sixth of them are permanently inhabited. That’s a lot of land up there that could be put to good use someday!