Diomede Islands

The Diomede Islands are two small islands in the middle of the Bering Strait between Asia and North America, one Russian and one American, notable for their proximity and the International Date Line between them.

The pair consists of Big Diomede on the Russian side and Little Diomede on the U.S. side; they sit only about 3.8 km apart, which makes them geographically close while belonging to different countries and calendar days. The islands have distinct human geography - Little Diomede has a small indigenous community while Big Diomede is largely uninhabited aside from state facilities.

Historically the islands were part of local indigenous territory and later became strategic border points during the 20th century; Cold War-era restrictions separated communities that once had close ties. Today they symbolize the maritime and political boundary between Russia and the United States.

Geographically the islands lie in the central Bering Strait between mainland Chukotka (Russia) and mainland Alaska (USA). Big Diomede is under Chukotka administration; Little Diomede is in Alaska, and the strait around them is subject to strong currents, sea ice and variable weather.

• Date line and distance: The two islands are separated by the International Date Line and are about 3.8 km (2.4 miles) apart, creating a direct time-zone and geopolitical boundary between Russia and the United States.

What to See #

• Big Diomede (Ratmanov Island): The larger island on the Russian side of the International Date Line, officially Ratmanov Island, largely uninhabited and used historically for Soviet/Russian border and military posts.
• Little Diomede (Iñupiat village): The smaller U.S. island, often called Little Diomede, hosts an Inupiat village and local community facilities; it lies in U.S. territory but only about 3.8 km from the Russian island.