Discover the areas in the world with the most isolated settlements – where exactly are they, and how many people live there?
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Across the world lie some fascinating settlements, far from regular civilisation and modern urban centres. These are some of the most isolated places on the planet, with communities as sparse as just fifty inhabitants in areas less than five miles in circumference. Where exactly are these settlements, and what can be found there?
Here are the most isolated settlements in the world, according to population size, in reverse order:
5) Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland – 450
The town of Ittoqqortoormitt is surrounded by wilderness, with its neighbours including the largest national park in the world – Northeast Greenland National Park spanning 972,000 square kilometres – and the world’s largest fjord system Scoresby Sound.
To get there visitors can either travel to Reykjavik or Akureyri to Nerlerit Inaat and then take a helicopter, boat, or snowmobile transfer for 40 kilometres to reach it. In summer, expedition cruises also arrive into the Ittoqqortoormitt port.
Despite its isolated location, it is home to almost 500 people and features a church, a local museum, one restaurant – Orormersiarderdarpi Grill Café – as well as a huge green football field flanked by rock and snow.
4) Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean – 264
Located 2,810 kilometres (1,750 miles) away from Cape Town, Tristan da Cunha is home to 264 inhabitants who all live in the small town of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas in the north of the island.
Each year, there are less than twelve voyages per year to the island across just three ships – and during WWI, it is reported that Tristan da Cunha had no mail for ten years due to the abandoning of the annual supply ship voyage.
The majority of jobs on the island are either in fishing or farming, with Tristan rock lobster a profitable source of income for inhabitants. Residents speak English but have a distinct local dialect, with words from cultures including South African, American and Dutch, from the original settlers and visitors.
A list of all the island’s births, deaths and marriages is available on its website, as well as detailed information about tourism and island news.
If you’re planning to visit, prior approval of the Island Council is required. Once there, visitors can explore the town’s post office, Thatched House Museum, play a game of golf, eat at Café da Cunha and even explore a naturally formed heart-shaped crater lake aptly named Love Island.
The highest point of Tristan da Cunha – Queen Mary’s Peak – is at the island’s centre, with an elevation of 2,060 metres (6,760 feet). Away from the inhabited parts, wildlife including northern rockhopper penguins, broad-billed prion and yellow-nosed albatross can be found.
3) Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica – 100
With just 14 homes, Villa Las Estrellas – Spanish for ‘stars town’ – is a Chilean village located on King George Island in Antarctica. There is a school – with just three computers, all of which are reserved to use the village’s only internet access – along with a radio station, gym, post office, souvenir shop and coin-operated payphone in the village centre.
Tourists do visit Villa Las Estrellas and can stay in one of the village hotel’s 20 rooms. Opportunities to experience whale-watching as well as snowmobile and ski expeditions continue to bring tourism to the village. Another must-do for visitors is the post office, Correos de Chile, as postcards can be sent from the location with an Antarctic stamp.
2) Kerguelen Islands, Southern Indian Ocean – 50-100
The set of islands are comprised of Kerguelen Island – also known as Desolation Island – as well as 300 islets that total 2,400 square miles (6,200 square km). Kerguelen Island itself has active glaciers, with peaks reaching heights of up to 1,965 metres (6,445 feet).
The Kerguelen Islands have a fluctuating population since the people there are actually scientists and staff members that come and go on the permanent scientific centre and base established in 1950, called Port-aux-Français. In the winter, around 45 staff and scientists live on the main island, rising to 90-100 in summer.
Access to the base is only possible via ship, with any passengers able to arrive on the Marion Dufresne supply vessel. A helicopter on board allows passengers to make their way to Port-aux-Français, as well as unload any equipment needed.
Research projects at Port-aux-Français include bird and mammal ecology, long-term Earth science observations, geology and meteorology.
1) Pitcairn Islands, Southern Pacific Ocean – 50
Taking top spot are the Pitcairn Islands, a group of islands in the British Overseas Territory which are collectively home to just fifty inhabitants. Located in the central Southern Pacific Ocean, the group of islands are comprised of two small atolls, Ducie and Oeno, a larger coral island, Henderson, and the only one that is habitable, Pitcairn.
Pitcairn Islands can be reached one of the regular boats that cruise there, and it is also possible to apply on the Pitcairn Island Immigration website to become a permanent resident there.
Pitcairn itself is just 3.2km long and 1.6km wide. The island has a mayor, Simon Young – who moved there in 1999 from the UK. Pitcairn has a Marine Science Base – spanning an area of 842,000 sq km – which opened in February 2024, and due to the crystal-clear water and low human activity near the island, it is a notable place for scientists to conduct research.
In 2006, ten islanders on Pitcairn were involved in high-profile trials involving child sexual assault and rape charges. In total, thirty-one men – some deceased by the time of the trial – were accused, with several women naming Steve Christian, the island’s mayor, as a perpetrator. Other men charged included Christian’s son, Randy.
And in 2016, another island mayor – Michael Warren – was sentenced to 20 months in jail after downloading child abuse images and films. Steve Christian, then released from his three-year jail sentence, served as one of the two assessors in the trial. The prison which housed Christian was built by the accused men after being transported in a disassembled form from Britain. Featuring plumbing, this building is considered one of the most extravagant on the island.
Currently, a child protection system is in place on Pitcairn Islands, with a New Zealand police officer, Constable Kay-Anna Lawson, and senior British diplomat stationed there. Some islanders have also taken on child protection training under the supervision of Lawson.
