Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic island group in the south Atlantic Ocean and is part of the British Overseas Territory that also includes St Helena and Ascension. It is notable for being one of the most isolated inhabited places on Earth with a very small resident community.

The main settlement is the central habitation and service point for residents, and the volcanic peak rises steeply from the island to over 2,000 m, shaping local topography and weather. Wildlife, seabird colonies and endemic plants are features of the islands, and supply ships provide most external goods.

The islands were settled in the early 19th century by a small number of families and have been administered as part of the British Overseas Territory; volcanic activity has occasionally required temporary evacuations, most notably in the 20th century. Governance and daily life are organized around a single principal settlement and communal services.

Geographically the islands lie in the south central Atlantic, well away from continental landmasses, with the nearest sizeable land widely separated by many hundreds or thousands of kilometres of open ocean.

• Remoteness: One of the world's most remote inhabited archipelagos; there is no airport and access is by ship, typically via long sea voyages from South Africa or Saint Helena.
• Population and economy: Small, close-knit community with only a few hundred residents; local economy relies on limited agriculture, fishing and occasional visitors arriving by ship.

What to See #

• Edinburgh of the Seven Seas: The main settlement is a small administrative village and is the primary community and service center for the island group.
• Queen Mary's Peak: A volcanic summit rising over 2,000 m above sea level that dominates the island's skyline and has been the source of historic eruptions.