The tiniest islands around the world

Stef Zisovska
Thousand Islands single house - Author: Omegatron - CC BY-SA 3.0
Thousand Islands single house - Author: Omegatron - CC BY-SA 3.0

There are many small islands around the world where usually nobody lives, but there are also tiny islands that have inhabitants. Living on a small island is probably one of the hardest things that can happen to the modern human. No traffic, shopping malls, streets, lights or even houses. Some of the islands on this list are lonely rocks with a lighthouse where a single man lives. Check the world’s tiniest islands where people lived, or are still living today.

Bishop Rock, UK

Bishop Rock Lighthouse – Isles of Scilly – Author: Richard Knights – CC BY-SA 2.0
Bishop Rock Lighthouse – Isles of Scilly – Author: Richard Knights – CC BY-SA 2.0

The Bishop Rock Lighthouse is the smallest of the 1040 islands in the Scilly Isles, a group of islands in the south west of the UK. The island is a rock with a lighthouse on it. There’s no one living there now, but in the 13th century, it was a home to prisoners who were left there with only bread and water.

Tiber Island, Italy

A view from the south-east of Tiber Island – Author: Mac9 – CC BY-SA 3.0
A view from the south-east of Tiber Island – Author: Mac9 – CC BY-SA 3.0

The tiny Tiber Island is the only island in the part of the Tiber River that flows through Rome. It’s 890 feet long and 220 feet wide. Features that can be seen on the island today are the Fatebenefratelli Hospital from the 16th century and the Basilica of St. Bartholomew, which was founded in the 10th century.

Tristan de Cunha, Atlantic Ocean

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha – Author: Michael Clarke stuff – CC BY-SA 2.0
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha – Author: Michael Clarke stuff – CC BY-SA 2.0

Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world, lying 1500 miles from the nearest continental land, South Africa. The island has around 260 residents, but they share only seven family names. Tristan de Cunha belongs to the British Overseas Territory.

Dunbar Rock, Honduras

Dunbar Rock is a tiny Honduran island known as a possible hidden treasure island. It was frequently visited by the famous pirate Blackbeard.

Toshima Island, Tokyo

Toshima Island, seen from offshore – Author: MGA73bot2 – CC BY-SA 4.0
Toshima Island, seen from offshore – Author: MGA73bot2 – CC BY-SA 4.0

The Toshima Island is home to the world’s largest lily, the Saiku Lily. The island has an area of 1.6 square miles, and it’s one of the smallest inhabited islands in the world. Almost eighty percent of Toshima Island is covered with camellia forests. A big part of the island looks red from November to March because of the camellia flowers. It has 330 inhabitants whose main preoccupation is fishing. Toshima is a part of the Izu Islands, governed by the Tokyo municipality.

Rubh a’ Chruidh, Scotland

Gylen Castle, Kerrera – Author: Colin Park – CC BY-SA 2.0
Gylen Castle, Kerrera – Author: Colin Park – CC BY-SA 2.0

Rubh a’ Chruidh is the north-east tip of Kerrera Island that is now a private property belonging to the Lanarkshire businessman David Hamilton. Rubh a’ Chruidh is 1.6 hectares, has a helipad, and a beach style house. Kerrera Island is known for the Gylen Castle built in 1582.

Foula, Scotland

Noup, Foula – Author: Dr. Julian Paren – CC BY-SA 2.0
Noup, Foula – Author: Dr. Julian Paren – CC BY-SA 2.0

Foula Island is a part of the Shetland archipelago in Scotland. The most remote of all British inhabited islands, Foula has 20 residents. Also, it was a shooting location for the movie The Edge of the World.

White Head Island, Canada

White Head Island – Author: Ken Gallager – CC BY-SA 4.0
White Head Island – Author: Ken Gallager – CC BY-SA 4.0

White Head Island is an island in the Bay of Fundy in Canada. It’s located east of the Grand Manan Island and has around 200 inhabitants. There is a ferry called William Frankland that operates all year round between White Head and the Grand Manan islands, and it’s free of charge. This small community has an elementary school, a Baptist church, and a general store on the dock where the ferry arrives. The economy of the island is sustained by mainly by fishing.

Thousand Islands, Canada/US

A house on one of the islands in the region – Author: Ilikepie2221 – CC BY-SA 3.0
A house on one of the islands in the region – Author: Ilikepie2221 – CC BY-SA 3.0

The Thousand Islands archipelago is located in the Saint Lawrence River between the US and Canada. The entire archipelago contains 1864 islands, and some of them are so small that they can support only one tree or a single house.

These miniature pieces of land surrounded by water are a perfect example of the ability of humans to live isolated from the mainland. If you are a traveler that likes to visit unusual places and explore every single mile of land on the planet, then add some of these islands to your must-see list. Good luck!

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stef-zisovska

stef-zisovska is one of the authors writing for Outdoor Revival