h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So whats the chance there are still some islands out there that are mostly or completely unihabited. I was thinking about it and i wondered how many really really small islands (like a square mile or even smaller) are out there. If there are some islands that small, they would be almost useless for inhabiting cause theyre too small. But where are these islands, thats my question. Anyone have any info on islands, or are you an island expert? Well I need to know, so lets all find out (and ill invite you all to my big massive island party)

Well, by inhabitants I assume you mean humans. There are plenty of islands around without humans on them but there are other creatures living there. In New Zealand there are alot of wildlife sanctuaries.

Are you in the UK? I'm sure there are uninhabitated islands up in the Orkneys

The Hebrides have many uninhabited islands

The Galapagos are largely uninhabited, apart from on one island where there's a research centre and a holiday resort (income from which largely funds the research centre).

RF

Once more, Hans Island is in our news. About 1.3 square kilmotres of barren rock, that have both Denmark and Canada bristling a bit. Both claim ownership ...

Some even have their own website

http://www.therockalltimes.co.uk/

About half the islands in Greece are uninhabited. The smaller ones.

St Kilda's - way left of the Outer Hebrides - used to be inhabited and now isn't.

Certain islands in the South Pacific - Eniwetok for one - that used to be inhabited and are now uninhabitable, due to atomic testing.

Someone reviewed a book about islands in The Post this week: A4638936

Even the Netherlands have a couple of uninhabited islands: Rottumeroog and Rottummerplaat. Only for a few months a year one or two people are living there: bird watchers and/or wardens (the island are a nature reserve), and very occasionally writers or artists seeking solitude get permission to stay there for a while. The rest of the year they are left to the birds, the seals and the elements.

The Florida Keys are surrounded by hundreds of mangrove islands. They're protected, fortunately, otherwise I'm sure they'd each be sporting a condo.

I wrote an entry on Rockall for the Guide : A755787.

Many of the islands off the coast of Ireland are uninhabited. They had large populations at one time, but due to the difficulties involved getting provisions over to the islands during bad weather, many islanders eventually opted to move to the mainland. The Blaskets off the coast of Kerry suffered this fate, as did Achillbeg and Inishtrahull.

Over a thousand years ago, hermit monks occupied the Skellig islands, which are two amazingly jagged islands in Kerry, and home to some of the largest gannet colonies in the world. How anyone could have lived on them, even in modern times, is anyone's guess.

Isn't there a radio four transmitter on Rockall???

''The fleet set sail for Rockall,
(Rockall, Rockall)
To free the isle of Rockall,
'From fear of foreign foe.
'We sped across the planet,
To find this lump of granite,
One rather startled Gannet;
In fact, we found Rockall.'' (Flanders and Swann - 'Rockall')

Strangely, that was the first island that came to mind when I saw this thread...

The sub-Antarctic islands like Macquarie etc. are free of humans. Home to fur seals, penguins, albatrosses etc.

There are some abandoned whaling stations on some of them, and the odd party of happy scientists but basically "uninhabited". The botanic gardens in Hobart have a "cold-house" (as opposed to a "hot-house") that has a good collection of plants from said islands.


They are and (windy), but according to a friend of mine who has been to Macquarie, absolutely beautiful.

Wasn't there an island in Scotland where lots of anthrax experiments on sheep were carried out?

That reminds me of the atolls in the Pacific ocean where the US (and more recently, France) carried out nuclear bomb tests.

Trouble is, some of those islands weren't uninhabited.

Then there are islands that are inhabited but really shouldn't be, like canvey island.

I think Sweden has a lot of uninhabited islands in their Skaergaard.

A well-written story / article about such places can be found here:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/desertisland1.html

Too bad Bouvet Island has gotten to notorious - the death sentence for any place on Earth is either calling it a paradise or calling the exact opposite and saying it's the most isolated place. Funny things, us people.

- JD