How they live on Tristan da Cunha. Tristan da Cunha: the most remote archipelago on the globe

» Tristan da Cunha Island, Edinburgh City of the Seven Seas

There you are iconic view of the "most distant inhabited island world "Tristan da Cunha with the characteristic cone of a volcano, a cloud and an albatross in the foreground - as it is drawn in illustrations for books by Jules Verne and T-shirts" I've been to Tristan da Cunha and all I've got was this lousy t- shirt "(only the bird needs to be made bigger)

Of course, Tristan da Cunha is only the second farthest from other human habitation after, but the absence of an airport completely changes the balance: the fastest way to get there is by ships, which happens every 2 months

Any post about Tristan da Cunha should contain a piece of the South Atlantic map with infographics with distances to and - to show what kind of a distant, distant island it is:

The capital of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is the first and only city on the island, 260 people, about 100 houses. Top right - Queen Mary Peak, highest mountain throughout the South Atlantic. A small, not yet very overgrown hill to the left of the city is their home volcano, which tried to destroy the city in 1961, but destroyed only a bay with a port suitable for ocean ships. Since then, disembarking at Tristan da Cunha has been a great adventure: no ship larger than a launch or a small yacht can fit into a new port.

Should an ocean ship stop at the roadstead, it is attacked by the zodiacs of the islanders. Today is a very, very good day, so the ship lowered the ramp

Shakes waves, and at the highest point the ladder hangs 2-3 meters above the water, and at the bottom - it plunges under the water, but it is easy to disembark from it: 2 sailors RMS gently grab the pensioner under the armpits, wait for the calm and quietly dump him to the two Tristan boatmen in the zodiac

They say that it is worse to get into the boat with the help of a rope ladder and climbing insurance, and another 30% of passenger ships (of those with a schedule, and after Tristan must go somewhere further) will stand by Tristan for a couple of days and go further: the weather does not allow drop passengers at all

Suitcases are passed between the ship and the zodiacs, one at a time on ropes

Calshot harbor

Great Britain annexed Tristan da Cunha to its own (right there, in the South Atlantic, about 3200 kilometers), but direct sea communication between the islands is rare and the governor of Saint Helena appears on the island every 3-5 years. This is just our case: the governor is with us on RMS and therefore, the list of passengers contains not only the usual titles of booking systems - MR, MRS, DOC - but also GOV. No cellular connection, not even Digicel

Edinburgh of the seven seas

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on the left, the 1961 volcano on the right:

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas:

Recognizable central square with a billboard and a pointer replicated on a million photos, they spoiled it with an electric cabinet - they build street lighting in the city and they don't mind anything, nothing

All other human cities will be north of Edinburgh, but signs point east - blown away by prevailing wind

Edinburgh lives in a constant strong mournful wind from west to east, or vice versa - Muscovites would have been blown off their feet long ago, but here everyone somehow adapted. As barriers from the wind, they are grown New Zealand linen- grass at 3 human heights. A plant that is considered an aggressive weed in a neighboring one finally benefits here

Dry laundry on a sunny wall that protects from the wind

If you remove the body from a pickup truck, it will turn into a greenhouse with giant plants (because it is warm, there is no wind and the sheep cannot eat this grass)

City plumbing with New Zealand flax wind barriers in the background:

For a garage, the main thing is to protect from the wind, and not from precipitation:

Snow in this city, despite the harsh view the environment, does not happen: the record for the lowest temperature is + 5 ° C (higher than on a much more northern and more tropical one). But here's another thing: 37 parallel south latitude (see Children of Captain Grant) Tristan da Cunha corresponds to the latitude of Sicily. A person here burns in an hour in summer, but the plants and climate, due to the cooling effect of the roaring forties, are similar to the Kolyma or Karelian summer.

The flag was raised over the residence of the Governor of Saint Helena (for the first time in 3 years, for 2 days) - because the governor came with us to RMS

Urbanists work on Edinburgh - a large-scale lantern installation program is being implemented in the city

In a couple of months it will be cool, but for now, after sunset, not a damn thing is visible in the city and tourists walk around illuminating the paths with smartphones unusable for anything else.

It gets dark

Lobsters

The island economy works in much the same way: government jobs and small income from hardcore tourists. But Tristan was lucky: there are lobsters here and Japanese aliens are ready to pay dearly for them - it pays for production and expensive logistics. Every day, when the weather permits (~ 70 days a year), they go out to sea, catch lobsters and process them at a lobster factory

It is not possible to gut the entire catch in real time, so the difference is kept alive in an aquarium workshop similar to the Matrix

Lobster boats in the port: between the exits they must be pulled ashore: the wind is unpredictable and strong, it can break

Local lobsters eat only tails: to satisfy the special needs of aliens, tails are packed either in rings (in the picture) or flattened, this is all bought and consumed in a very different way.

Packing tails in plastic bags

Sorted by weight

Aliens love a beautiful presentation of food, so antennae and inedible shells are piled up and placed in boxes so that the chef can decorate the dish.

This year, the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha first saw the archipelago, but his crew did not go ashore. One of the islands was named after this discoverer captain. And in 1767 sailors from the French frigate "Time Berger" landed on Tristan da Cunha for the first time.

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 only one city, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, where 264 people live permanently. Local residents are farmers and fishermen, they keep chickens, sheep, cows, and they also grow potatoes and go out into the ocean for their catch. The climate on the island is windy and rainy, and the coast is rocky, you can only land in a strictly defined place (where Edinburgh is located). Due to its remoteness from the continents, many endemic plants grow on Tristan da Cunha. And yet only here is the smallest of the flightless birds - a dark gray Tristan shepherd boy, 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 there, you need to fly to Cape Town and board one of the Ovenstone ships (see tristandc.com for the schedule). A ticket costs about a thousand dollars round trip, and the travel time is six days one way.

4. Person

French extreme 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 at 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, and now the ascent to 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 the work of fishing boats and stayed on the island for three weeks. There is no tourist infrastructure at all, not a single restaurant or 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 - 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 my wife a postcard, which arrived at its destination three months later, when I had already returned.

Image copyright NASA Image caption The area of ​​Tristan da Cunha is 98 square kilometers, but most of these kilometers are occupied by the steep slopes of the volcano

What do the collective farm, Napoleon Bonaparte and the Royal Institute of British Architects have in common?

Tristan da Cunha Island.

This island is unique. British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. The most isolated settlement on Earth. The nearest inhabited island (St. Helena) is 2 thousand kilometers of open ocean.

Image copyright RIBA Image caption All land on Tristan da Cunha is co-owned by the islanders

Why Napoleon? Because the island was annexed by Britain in 1816 to prevent the French from helping Napoleon escape from exile on the "neighboring" island of St. Helena.

Why a collective farm? Because when Great Britain ceased to be afraid of French conspiracies and withdrew its troops from the island, some people decided to stay there. And, according to the principles established by the founder of the colony, William Glass in 1817, all the land on the island is jointly owned by the islanders.

Image copyright Getty Image caption Until the end of the 60s, houses on Tristan da Cunha looked like this

Local residents grow potatoes, raise sheep, whose livestock is strictly controlled by the entire community, so that, God forbid, the sheep do not eat all the grass, or the owners of the sheep do not get too rich. When the weather permits, people go out to sea for fish. In addition, all residents, to the extent of their physical capabilities, participate in public works - repairing the government building, or laying a "road".

Why British Architects? Because the islanders and their local government have turned to the Royal Institute of British Architects to help them reorganize all local architecture and infrastructure so that the island is even more self-sufficient than it is today.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Tristan da Cunha has no port or airport

The population of the island is about 280 people. They are all descendants of the first settlers who arrived here 200 years ago from England, Holland and Italy. The inhabitants of the island have only seven surnames - Glass, Green, Hagan, Lavarello, Repetto, Rogers and Swain.

Tristans speak a dialect of English close to the dialect of the north of England at the beginning of the 19th century.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Among other things, Tristan da Cunha receives income from the sale of stamps. There are more penguins than people on the island

Since the entire island belongs to the entire community as a whole, outsiders are prohibited from settling there. Britain sends a teacher and sometimes a police officer to the island - but only for a period of three years, and these migrants are not considered members of the community and are not allowed to cultivate the land, raise sheep or go out to sea for fish.

The only connection to the outside world is the very slow Internet, which appeared there just a few years ago, and a ship that calls here about once a month, depending on the weather, from Cape Town.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Tristan da Cunha has its own flag and its own government

There is no port on the island, as a result, when the ship arrives from Cape Town, the entire adult population abandons their affairs, gets into boats, and goes to receive the cargo.

This is what prompted the islanders to turn to architects for help in order to create a more independent economy and infrastructure - they are too dependent on imported diesel fuel and want to switch to renewable energy sources.

Image copyright Thierry Assef Image caption The capital of the island, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, locals called the "village"

All islanders live in the only one on the island locality, which is also the capital of Tristan da Cunha. No other capital of the world has a more romantic name - Edinburgh of the Seven Seas (although the locals call it simply "The Settlement").

The island is governed by the Governor of St. Helena, who sends an administrator to Tristan da Cunha every three years. That, in turn, relies on the local "parliament" - a council of five. The leader of the "parliament" is not officially called the prime minister, but the Chief Islander.

Image copyright Getty Image caption It looks like a "supermarket" in Edinburgh of the seven seas

Tristan da Cunha is the summit of an active volcano rising above sea level. The area of ​​the island is 98 square kilometers, but most of these kilometers are occupied by the steep slopes of the volcano.

It would seem - who wants to stay on a tiny island, almost completely cut off from the rest of the world, where all people are relatives to each other?

Image caption Fishing is one of the main local industries

But, as it turned out, almost everything.

In 1961, a volcanic eruption began at Tristan da Cunha, and the British government evacuated the entire local population to England. Everyone who had heard at least something about the living conditions on the island was convinced that, having tasted the benefits of real civilization, the islanders would stay in England.

Image copyright Getty Image caption Evacuation of the residents of Tristan da Cunha

But it was not there. The evacuation and life in a foreign land among people who did not understand the idea of ​​a joint collective economy only united the community even more, and after a couple of years, almost all Tristans insisted that they be returned home, to their native potato gardens, sheep and waiting for a ship from Cape Town.

Image copyright Getty Image caption Residents of Tristan da Cunha withstood only two years of life in evacuation in England

British architects are now hoping to install solar panels on Tristan da Cunha, rebuild local houses, many of which look more like huts, help with drinking water collection, and in general, do everything so that, even with this, almost everyone forgotten island it was possible to live as it should be in the XXI century.

Well, or at least in the twentieth.

Rare travelers make it to this island in the South Atlantic Ocean. There is no airport here, and the nearest country, South Africa, is 2816 kilometers away.

Topics more interesting story island, which was first described by the Portuguese Tristan da Cunha in 1506. True, he did not dare to land ashore. In 1810, the first permanent settlers arrived here from Salem, Massachusetts. Four men, led by Jonathan Lambert, named the place Refreshing Island. Three of them died by 1812, and the only survivor, Thomas Curry, stayed on the island and took up farming.

The remoteness of the island from the continents.

View of Tristan da Cunha from the ocean.

In 1815, the British annexed the island of Tristan da Cunha. All due to the fact that in the neighborhood - on the island of St. Helena (located 2161 km away) - Napoleon languished in prison. The British were afraid of rescue operations, moreover, the islands had strategic importance on the way to Indian Ocean(The Suez Canal would only be dug by 1869).

Now the island is considered part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (there are 14 such territories in total - from the famous Gibraltar and Falkland Islands to Pitcairn and Anguilla). The island belongs to the UK, but is not part of it. The queen's foot has never set foot on the island, and it is an extremely difficult task to step foot on this island not to its inhabitant. Fishing boats from South Africa come here only a few times a year. They are equipped with seats for passengers.

Island flag

City map

As of 2016, the island is inhabited by 268 residents from just seven families (the island even has a family tree posted on it). There is not much work here, so many government positions have been created for residents: police, customs, environmental, environmental and agricultural services. And every inhabitant of the island of Tristan da Cunha is a farmer who owns his own potato field. To keep everyone's standard of living average, a family is allowed a maximum of two cows. Nobody pays taxes on the island, while the population receives royalties from the sale of seafood.

The only settlement bears the beautiful name of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. The locals, however, call it simply The Settlement.

View of Edinburgh Seven Seas

An ordinary house in Tristan da Cunha

In 2005, the UK gave the island its own postcode (TDCU 1ZZ) to make it easier for residents to order online. Truth, cellular communication there is no. From 1998 to 2006, 64 kilobits of Internet was available through a satellite phone, but the high cost and disgusting quality of work forced the residents of the island to abandon this. Now the Internet is only in cafes, and this is perhaps the most remote Internet cafe in the world from civilization.

Television is present on two BBC channels, so the news reaches the inhabitants of the island a little faster than in 1919. Then a passing ship (the first since 1909) informed them about the results of the First World War.

Local

Bus stop

Read more:
Report at the "Vinsky Forum" for 2013
Tristan da Cunha Island. Wikipedia
Tristan da Cunha Island. Official site

“… Another day passed, and at dawn the voice of the sailor on duty was suddenly heard.
“Earth!” He shouted.
A telescope appeared from the hatch. Jacques Paganel pointed his instrument in the indicated direction, but did not see anything like the ground there.
“Look at the clouds,” John Mangles advised him.
"Indeed," said Paganel, "something like a cliff looms out there."
"This is Tristan da Cunha" - announced John Mangles ... "
Captain Grant's Children by Jules Verne

Have you ever heard of Tristan da Cunha? If not, don't be discouraged, because the people living on it have probably never heard of you either. The Tristan da Cunha archipelago, located in the South 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 life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Tristan da Cunha consists of several islands - Tristan itself, the largest and only inhabited island, the Nightingale Island and the Inaccessible Island, Gough and many small islets. The coast of South Africa is more than 2,800 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 left his name here forever. 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 by his own name - Tristan da Cunha. The first settler of the island was the American Jonathan Lambert, who landed in January 1811. He called himself the ruler of the island and renamed it "The Island of Rest".

When the English governor of the Cape Good Hope learned that the island had already been colonized, he offered Lambert the 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 screwed into 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 the possible sea routes of his escape from there, it was decided to place a garrison on Tristana da Cunha. The small, curving American colony took it as a gift from heaven, and recognized the sovereignty of Great Britain 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 with a permanent population. Center - village Edinburgh of the seven seas(Edinburgh of the Seven Seas) with a population of about 300 (2005). But the residents just call him settlement(Settlement). And the local residents use the ceremonial name as rarely as their surnames, of which there are only seven or eight: almost all families have long become related to each other. Neither give nor take - Noah's ark. The oldest families on the island are Glass (immigrants from the United States, since 1816 on the island), Svoin (immigrants from England, since 1826), Green (from Holland since 1836), Rogers (from the United States since 1836), Hagan ( USA, 1849), Repetto and Lavarello (both families from Italy since 1892).

Other settlements are just scientific bases and meteorological stations.

Today, Tristan da Cunha is a British overseas colony, which until now did not demand independence, but all because the inhabitants of the island value their historical connection with Great Britain. The island is governed by the Governor of Saint Helena, who appoints an Administrator to represent him in the archipelago.

Well, okay, people do not live on continents, but these islands are so far from sea ​​routes that ships do not enter there more often 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 perfectly cope with the elements, and with illness, and with work and unemployment. Just kidding - they have no unemployment.

Most of the residents are engaged in farming, the rest serve state facilities - meteorological stations and some other towers inherited from Mother Britain. But what is interesting is that the land is constantly redistributed among members of the community in order to avoid accidental enrichment of a random family due to the accidental seizure of the best plot. Since all 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 get it extremely charming. The island is ruled by an elected Chief Islander and eleven members of the Council, no more General Courts and Memorial Chambers are envisaged. 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 clearance certificate (translated into English). To do this, you need to write a letter to the Administrator's secretary [email protected] and indicate when you plan to arrive, where you intend to stay and what the purpose of your visit is. Also, you must have medical insurance with you, which will cover the costs of medical treatment and evacuation to Cape Town, and sufficient funds. Once the Board has granted you permission, the Administrator's secretary will contact you to help you book your boat tickets from Cape Town.

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

Tristana da Cunha has no airport or 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- The capital of South Africa Cape Town takes six days one way. Currently, Ovenstone, which owns several fishing vessels - Edinburgh, MV Baltic Trader and SA Agulhas, transports tourists along the Cape Town - Tristan da Cunha - Cape Town route. The flight schedule can be found on the website. On average, the cost of a round-trip ticket is about a thousand US dollars.

Tristan da Cunha is a volcanic island. The people of Tristan da Cunha are firmly attached to their homeland. When in 1961 the volcano severely damaged the fish factory and the local atmosphere, the people were evacuated to Britain and the island of St. Elena, that nearby (some thousand kilometers is a mere trifle). It would seem that civilization will inevitably swallow provincials with its tenacious advantages. But no, as soon as the military island repaired, the entire population returned to their "most remote from the whole world" at home. And, perhaps, they can be understood - they have peace and grace there, a piece of paradise on Earth, albeit without excesses, 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, in the north side of which is the capital of the archipelago - "Edinburgh of the Seven Seas", and the locals like to call it simply "Settlement". Currently, Tristana da Cunha is home to 261 people who proudly consider it their home. All of them are descendants of American, Italian, Dutch settlers. There is a ban on the settlement of new inhabitants on the island, so the population here fluctuates slightly. Hence, another problem arises - for more than 200 years a closely related incest took place 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 misfortune for all such societies.

The official language in Tristana da Cunha is English, but there are several dialects here that evolved from the fact that the first settlers did not originally speak English language... Tristans 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 a lobster and lobster fishing and processing factory, which closely cooperates and sells its products to Japan and the United States, 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 all over the world, which are very rare and highly sought after 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 rand) can be exchanged at the local treasury.

All land is in common use. Nobody can buy it here, not even Bill Gates and Roman Abramovich. All families are engaged in farming, growing vegetables and raising livestock. By the way, the livestock population is strictly controlled in order to preserve pastures and prevent individual families from accumulating wealth. In other words, there is complete equality.

The island has a school, post office, museum, café, two churches, a supermarket and a tourist center. The local 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, isn't it?

It is necessary to book accommodation on the island in advance by contacting the Administrator's secretary (it is worth noting that you will often contact him, all communication with the "outside world" for Tristans 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 / night + meals).

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

Tristan da Cunha offers tourists a number of activities and excursions that can be specially organized by local guides. All inquiries must be directed to Tourism Coordinator Dawn Repetto by email [email protected]

Three of the most popular tourist attractions in Tristana da Cunha can be distinguished. The first is the conquest of the summit of the Queen Mary Peak volcano. All excursions that take place outside the Edinburgh Seven Seas border require the obligatory presence of a local guide (for the safety of tourists and wildlife). The second is the crested penguins (Rockhopper penguins), which make 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 the Nightingale Island or the Inaccessible Island, but again, you must first agree on the excursion with the Tristan administration. You can also go to Gough Island, which, like the 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 domain, but the only inhabitants of the island are members of the South Atlantic meteorological station. SANAP, which, in agreement with the British government, was stationed here in 1956.

Doesn't exist on Tristan da Cunha organized tours, no hotels, no airport, no nightclubs and expensive restaurants, no normal permanent transport links... However, it 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 during that period was by no means accidental. They were favorably located on the routes connecting the Old World and India and, moreover, were under the protectorate of England, which made them very popular. But the heyday 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 mainland under any pretext, so some of them were "attached" for scientific research, and the rest are engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and handicrafts.

You can go there for tourist purposes only to expand your geographic horizons - there is absolutely nothing to look at. Of the entire area of ​​the island, a small piece of land in the north is suitable for life, the rest is a volcano that has reminded of itself four times over the past 100 years. In addition to Tristan da Cunha, there are three smaller islands in the archipelago and many hillocks above sea level, which the language cannot be called an island. So - everything that except Tristan has no permanent residents.

Tristan is still registered with Britain, but this is more nominally, just so as not to be "without a passport" and not to produce another unknown independent island state.

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

For the past 60 years, the island has been governed by a council of 10 people and a head of the council, which is also approved by the governor of the British island of St. Helena. Since the commune on the island is tiny, local politics is at a glance: representatives of the most ancient families of settlers on the island hold the reins of government (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, in the council there are 4 representatives of the Repetto clan, 3 - the Green clan, 1 - the Rogers clan, 2 - the Glass clan. In total, conditional "Italians" out of 11 places have 5, "Americans" - 3, Dutch - 3 places. As we see, there was no place for the "Englishmen".

However, according to local political scientists, the current rise in the influence of the Italian clans is a purely temporary phenomenon. Ian Lavarello became the first member of his clan to be appointed chairman of the council.

It is not customary to evade community work. It is always there: to fix the road, help in building a house, crush the lava, from which bricks will then be made. The entire list of community-related work is drawn up by the UK manager.

Few things 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: to remember how the older generations of settlers acted in such cases. Tradition is what all actions are based on here. Why build a new restaurant building on the island? It would be better to leave everything as it is: how many years have we lived without a restaurant, and why is it needed now? Why build a new government building? After all, the old is still quite good. What's the use of a satellite phone? After all, if something happened - the ship from Cape Town, at best, will only arrive here in a week. In 1906, a volcanic eruption occurred, resulting in the death of livestock and potato plantations. People were relocated to Cape Town. As can be seen from these facts, all external relations of the island have long been closed on the support of the authorities from another British colony, Cape of Good Hope (now the province of South Africa).

sources
http://www.mirmarok.ru/prim/view_article/461/, http://ttolk.ru/?p=8785
http://www.terra-z.ru/archives/14313
http://59travel.ru/blog/index/node/id/1758-arhipelag-tristan-da-kunya/ Link to the article from which this copy was made -