Tristan da Cunha: The most remote corner of the Earth. Tristan da Cunha What is Tristan da Cunha

    Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ... Wikipedia

    This term has other meanings, see Tristan da Cunha. Islands of Tristan da Cunha ... Wikipedia

    - (Tristan da Cunha) about in in south. parts Atlantic Ocean, possession of Great Britain. Until issue own brands in 1952 used. stamps about the Great Patriotic War of St. Helena and the Ascension, as well as South Africa and Great Britain. A series prepared in 1946 by local authorities... ... Large philatelic dictionary

    Tristan da Cunha: Tristan da Cunha (islands) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean. Cunha, Tristan and the famous Portuguese navigator ... Wikipedia

    - (Tristan da Cunha) group of 4 volcanic islands in the southern part of the Atlantic approx. Possession of Great Britain. The area itself large island 117 km². Population of St. 300 people (1988). The main population center is Edinburgh. Fishing, hunting... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    - (Tristan da Cunha), a group of 4 volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. Possession of Great Britain. The area of ​​the largest island is 117 km2. population over 300 people (1988). Basic locality Edinburgh. Fishing,... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

    Tristan da Cunha- (Tristan da Cunha), a group of 4 volcanic islands, in the South Atlantic Ocean (37°06"S and 12°01"W). Administratively (since 1938) part of the British dominion. Area 209 km2 (including the largest and most inhabited... ... Encyclopedic reference book "Africa"

    - (Tristan da Cunha, named after the Portuguese navigator Tristão da Cunha, who discovered these islands) a group of 4 volcanic islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean (37°06 S and 12°01 W). Belongs to Great Britain. Square… … Great Soviet Encyclopedia

    - (Tristan da Cunha) an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, owned by the British. 37°6 S latitude, 12°2w. d. The shape of the island is round, the surface is 116 square meters. km, 61,000 inhabitants Consists of one cone-shaped mountain 2300 or 2540 m high, steep... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

    Islands of Tristan da Cunha Flag of the islands Coat of arms of the islands ... Wikipedia

Books

  • Winter is ending. Stories, Andrey Kalinin. A book for those who are looking for their path and believe that any winter ends sooner or later. 14 stories about a variety of people: from the first number on the Forbes list to a young resident of the island...

Tristan da Cunha is an island with a poetic name, a trip to which will not be offered at the travel agency. And yet this piece of earth is inhabited. Its population does not reach even three hundred people, but travelers come here in search of peace in the bosom of wildlife and scientific expeditions.

Territorial affiliation

Geographically, the archipelago belongs to the lands of Great Britain, although it is located almost 9 thousand kilometers from the British capital. This group includes such inhabited islands as Saint Helena (St. Helena), Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha. The remaining small pieces of land are not inhabited.

These islands are remote not only from the continents, but also from each other. So from Tristan da Cunha to Africa there are 2,816 km of ocean surface, and to South America and even more - 3,360 km. The nearest inhabited island of Saint Helena is 2,161 km away.

The capital of the archipelago is located on the island of Tristan da Cunha. It is also named very romantically - Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. This is the only settlement on the island. It has postal service, telegraph, internet, electricity and other amenities of civilization, but no cellular communications.

There are no regular flights between the islands passenger transport. Ascension Island can be reached by military aircraft from the British Kingdom, which can also carry a limited number of civilians. But such a trip requires special permission. Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha are connected only by private sea yachts or fishing vessels. Scientific expeditions sometimes use helicopters.

Lost in the ocean

The Tristan da Cunha archipelago is lost in the middle of the Atlantic and is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world. Several tiny islands appeared on the ocean surface about a million years ago as a result of volcanic activity.

Flora and fauna

Due to their remoteness from continents and other inhabited islands, these pieces of land have developed an absolutely unique ecosystem. Many plants, animals and birds are found nowhere else in the world. Therefore, the import of seeds, eggs and any types of living creatures is prohibited to these islands, so as not to disturb the fragile natural balance.

Despite the fact that here most The year is quite warm, the island of Tristan da Cunha is not inhabited by butterflies, mammals and reptiles. But here you can see penguins, seals and the smallest flightless bird in the world - the Tristan rail.

Story

The first records of the archipelago date back to 1506. Then the famous navigator from Portugal Trishtan da Cunha sailed past these shores. Seeing unknown pieces of land, he put them on maps, but the sailor did not dare to land on the rocky shores. Apparently, the traveler was not modest, because he named the entire archipelago and one of the islands after himself.

The first people entered these lands only 261 years after the discovery. These were French sailors from the frigate L'Heure du Berger. But the first settler to appear on the island was a native of Massachusetts in 1810, whose name was lost in history. He barely lasted two years on these harsh lands.

Volcanic island

The main island of the archipelago is Tristan da Cunha with an area of ​​98 km 2. The highest point is located on it - a volcano called Queen Mary Peak. Its height is 2,055 meters. It has erupted twice over the last century: in 1906 and 1961. Both times the population was evacuated. But as soon as the danger had passed, all the settlers returned to the island. During the last eruption, lava destroyed the port and changed coastline. Now it is impossible to approach the island on large ships.

Locals

About three hundred people live on the island. These people are hospitable and ready to help. The population of the island is strictly limited, so anyone cannot come here and stay forever. Genetically, almost all the inhabitants of the island are related to each other. There are only 7 names. Because of this, newborns often exhibit genetic abnormalities, which is typical in closed communities like this.

Main activity local population- fishing. Tourists can go out to sea with fishermen for a reasonable fee and catch lobster, sardines and other marine life.

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas has a swimming pool, bar, cafes and restaurants to sample local cuisine. There is also a factory on the island for cutting lobsters, which are sent for export.

There is also a police station, in which there is only one representative of the law. And no more is needed: thefts are practically never committed here, and the last murder was registered in 1876.

Climate

Tristan da Cunha is quite warm. In summer, the average daily temperature is around 20 degrees. And in winter it’s plus 14. The minimum temperature recorded here is +5 °C. But even in summer the water is quite cool - 18°. It rains from May to October.

It is very windy on the island. The wind blows either from west to east, or vice versa. To protect themselves from the elements, local residents line their homes with New Zealand flax. This herbaceous plant grows three times the height of a man and serves as a reliable shelter.

How to get there

To visit the island of Tristan da Cunha you do not need a UK visa, but you must request entry permission from local authorities, specifying the purpose of your trip and length of stay. Once approved, you must book your tickets for passenger airliner, which departs from Cape Town once a month. The one-way journey takes at least five days. You can negotiate with fishermen or rent a yacht yourself.

Local currency applies here. But you can also pay in British pounds. It is advisable to cash them before arriving on the island, although you can find a bank branch in the settlement, but problems may arise with plastic cards.

Mentions in literature

Tristan da Cunha, whose photos can serve as an illustration for any adventure novel about travelers in distress, has been mentioned in literature. It lies on the famous 37th parallel of the southern hemisphere and the heroes of Jules Verne’s novel “The Children of Captain Grant” swam to it. And in the work of Herve Bazin, the volcanic eruption and the rescue of the settlers are described. This is the novel “The Lucky Ones from the Island of Despair.”

Napoleon's final resting place

Another island from the archipelago is also historically known - this is the island of St. Helena. Emperor Napoleon spent his last years of life here. Tourists can see where the disgraced monarch spent the last five years of his life.

Tristan da Cunha is not a place for partygoers and sunny beaches. People come here for exotic adventures: to see nature almost untouched by civilization, to live away from megacities with their crowds and frantic rhythm. Here you can watch wild animals in natural environment. Or go out for amazing sea fishing. You can also watch whales swim by in Calshot Harbour. Or take a boat to the real inhabited island, feeling like the hero of a novel.

» Tristan da Cunha Island, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

There you are iconic a view of the "most remote inhabited island in the world" Tristan da Cunha with the characteristic volcanic cone, cloud and albatross in the foreground - as it is depicted in illustrations for Jules Verne's books and T-shirts "I've been to Tristan da Cunha and all I' ve got 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 situation: the fastest way to get there is by ship, which happens once every 2 months

Any post about Tristan da Cunha should contain a piece of a map of the South Atlantic with infographics with distances to and - to show what kind of far, far away 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 entry by ocean-going ships. Since then, the landing on Tristan da Cunho has been a great adventure: not a single vessel larger than a longboat or a small yacht will fit into the new port

As soon as an ocean ship stops at a roadstead, it is attacked by the zodiacs of the islanders. Today is a very, very nice day, so the ship lowered the ramp

Swings in waves, and in highest point the ladder hangs 2-3 meters above the water, and at the bottom it submerges under water, but it is easy to disembark from it: 2 sailors RMS they carefully grab the pensioner by the armpits, wait for a lull and quietly throw him to two Tristan boatmen in the zodiac

They say it's worse to get into a boat using a rope ladder and climbing belay, and another 30% passenger ships(one of those with a schedule, and after Tristan must go somewhere further) stay at Tristan’s for a couple of days and move on: the weather does not allow disembarking 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 3,200 kilometers away), but direct sea communication between the islands is rare and the governor of St. Helena appears on the island once every 3-5 years. This is exactly our case: the governor is with us on RMS and therefore, in the passenger list there are not only the usual titles of reservation systems - MR, MRS, DOC - but also GOV. Cellular connection no, not even Digicel

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

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

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas:

Recognizable central square with a shield and sign replicated in a million photographs, they were damaged by an electrical cabinet - they are building street lighting in the city and nothing is spared, nothing

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

Edinburgh lives in conditions of 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 has somehow adapted. They are grown as windbreaks New Zealand linen- grass 3 human height. A plant considered an invasive weed in a neighboring area is finally doing some good here.

Dry clothes on a sunny wall that protects from the wind

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

City water supply against the background of wind barriers made of New Zealand flax:

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

There is no snow in this city, despite the harsh environment: the record low temperature is +5°C (higher than in the much more northern and more tropical). But here’s something else: the 37th parallel of southern latitude (see Children of Captain Grant) Tristan da Cunha corresponds to the latitude of Sicily. A person here gets sunburned in an hour in the summer, but the plants and climate, due to the cooling influence of the roaring forties, are similar to the Kolyma or Karelian summer

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

Urbanists have worked on Edinburgh - the city is implementing a large-scale program of installing street lights

In a couple of months it will be cool, but for now, after sunset, you can’t see a damn thing in the city and tourists walk around highlighting the paths with smartphones that are useless for anything else

It's getting dark


Lobsters

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

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

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

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

Packaging of tailings in plastic bags

Sorting by weight

Aliens love beautiful presentation of food, so antennae and inedible shells are collected and placed in boxes - so that the cook can decorate the dish

“...another day passed, and at dawn the voice of the sailor on watch was suddenly heard.
“Earth!” he shouted.
A spyglass appeared from the hatch. Jacques Paganel pointed his instrument in the indicated direction, but did not see anything resembling land there.
“Look at the clouds,” John Mangles advised him.
“Indeed,” said Paganel, “there looms something like a cliff.”
“This is Tristan da Cunha,” announced John Mangles...

"Captain Grant's Children", Jules Verne

Have you ever heard of Tristan da Cunha? If not, don't feel bad because the people living there have probably never heard of you either. The Tristan da Cunha archipelago, located in the southern Atlantic Ocean, is the most remote inhabited place on the planet. Its closest “neighbor” is the island of St. Helena, located 2,430 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, Nightingale Island and Inaccessible Island, Gough and many small islands. The coast of South Africa is more than 2,800 kilometers from here, and all ten from 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 was not able to walk around the wreck, so the first to set foot on the “most remote land” were only in 1767, and they were the French. Despite this, he named the island after himself - Tristan da Cunha. The first settler of the island was the American Jonathan Lambert, who landed on the shore in January 1811. He named himself the ruler of the island and renamed it "Rest Island".

When the English Governor of the Cape Good Hope Having 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 given its former name.

In 1815, the British settled Napoleon on St. Helena, a similarly lonely piece of land thousands of miles to the north. And to protect possible sea ​​routes After his escape from there, it was decided to place a garrison on Tristan da Cunha. The small, dying American colony took this 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 one of the islands with a permanent population. Center - village Edinburgh of the Seven Seas(Edinburgh of the Seven Seas) with a population of about 300 people (2005). But the residents simply call it settlement(Settlement). And by the ceremonial name local residents they use them as rarely as they use their surnames, of which there are only seven or eight: almost all the families have long been related to each other. No give or take - Noah's Ark. The most ancient families on the island are considered to be Glass (immigrants from the USA, on the island since 1816), Swain (immigrants from England, since 1826), Green (from Holland since 1836), Rogers (from the USA since 1836), Hagan ( USA, 1849), Repetto and Lavarello (both families from Italy since 1892).

Other settlements are simply scientific bases and weather stations.

Today, Tristan da Cunha is a British overseas colony that has so far not demanded independence, all because the island's inhabitants value their historical connection with Great Britain. The island is governed by the Governor of Saint Helena, who appoints an Administrator to represent its interests in the archipelago.

Well, okay, people don’t live on continents alone, but these islands are so far from sea routes that ships go there no more than once a month. The rest of the time, all 300 residents of the islands’ only city, “Edinburgh of the Seven Seas,” are left to their own devices, and they cope excellently with the elements, with illness, with work, and with unemployment. Just kidding - they have no unemployment.

Most of the residents are engaged in farming, the rest serve government facilities - weather stations and some other towers inherited from Mother Britain. But what is interesting is that the land is constantly redistributed among community members in order to avoid the accidental enrichment of a random family due to the accidental seizure of the best plot. Since all Tristan residents are distant and close relatives, they decide their affairs in a family way, without involving any “committees for the rights of black-browed and red-cheeked people,” and they do it extremely charmingly. The island is ruled by an elected Chief Islander and eleven members of the Council; there are no other General Courts or Memorial Chambers. But the islanders are such a peaceful and friendly people that litigation between them is a 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 certificate of no criminal record (with a translation into English). To do this, you need to write a letter to the Secretary of the Administrator [email protected] and indicate when you plan to arrive, where you intend to stay and what the purpose of your visit is. You must also have medical insurance with you that will cover the costs of treatment and evacuation to Cape Town, and sufficient financial resources. Once the Council has issued your permit, the Administrator's Secretary will contact you to assist you in booking your boat tickets from Cape Town.

A visa is not required, but all tourists must carry a passport, which will be stamped upon arrival. In addition, you need to pay a fee: for passengers cruise ships- 30 pounds, and for fishing boats - 20 pounds. Finally, you need to know that the import of food and alcohol here 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 (it was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Queen Mary Peak in 1961).

You can only get here through the port, which is used by fishing boats, ferries and scientific expeditions. Travel to the island from the nearest large city– South Africa's capital Cape Town takes six days one way. Currently, the Ovenstone company, which owns several fishing vessels - Edinburgh, MV Baltic Trader and SA Agulhas, transports tourists along the route Cape Town - Tristan da Cunha - Cape Town. Flight schedules can be found on the website. The average cost of a round trip ticket is about a thousand US dollars.

Tristan da Cunha is an island of volcanic origin. The inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha are tightly tied to their homeland. When in 1961 a volcano seriously damaged the fish factory and the local atmosphere, people were evacuated to Britain and the island of St. Elena, which is nearby (about a thousand kilometers is a mere trifle). It would seem that civilization will inevitably swallow up the provincials with its tenacious advantages. But no, as soon as the military island was repaired, the entire population returned to their “most remote from the whole world” homes. And, probably, they can be understood - they have peace and grace there, a piece of heaven 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 accessible to life, on the northern side of which is the capital of the archipelago - “Edinburgh of the Seven Seas”, and locals like to call it simply “The Settlement”. Tristana da Cunha is currently home to 261 people who proudly call it home. All of them are descendants of American, Italian, and Dutch settlers. There is a ban on the settlement of new residents on the island, so the population here fluctuates slightly. This leads to another problem - for more than 200 years, inbreeding occurred on the island, which still leads to serious genetic diseases. Recently, marriages between close relatives (cousins) were officially prohibited, 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 problem for all such societies.

The official language in Tristan da Cunha is English, but there are several dialects that stem from the fact that the first settlers did not originally speak English. English language. Tristanians 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 the residents is the factory for catching and processing lobsters and lobsters, which closely cooperates and sells its products to Japan and the USA, although now the turnover with the Americans has dropped significantly, complicating the already difficult life of the residents 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, but traveler's checks and foreign currency (euro, dollars, South African rands) can be exchanged at your local treasury.

All land is in common use. No one 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, livestock numbers are strictly controlled in order to preserve pastures and prevent individual families from accumulating wealth. In other words, there is complete equality here.

The island has a school, post office, museum, cafe, two churches, a supermarket and a tourist center. Your local health center 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?

You must book accommodation on the island in advance by contacting the Administrator’s secretary (it is worth noting that you will often be in contact with him; all communication with the “outside world” for Tristanians 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 service and guest house(there are six of them on the island), which can be booked for any period (cost 20 pounds per night + meals).

Local tourist center You can buy a postcard and send it to your friends. But they will immediately tell you that delivery may take several months. Although Russians probably shouldn’t be too 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 should be directed to Tourism Coordinator Dawn Repetto via email [email protected]

Among the most beloved tourist entertainment on Tristana da Cunha three can be distinguished. The first is conquering the top of the Queen Mary Peak volcano. All excursions that take place outside the Edinburgh of the Seven Seas require the presence of a local guide (for the safety of tourists and the conservation of wildlife). The second is crested penguins (Rockhopper penguins), which make their nests on rocks and coastal slopes, and after the traditional January molt they return to the sea.

Third, and perhaps the most unique, is a trip to neighboring uninhabited islands archipelago. For example, on a fishing boat you can visit Nightingale Island or Inaccessible Island, but again, you must first coordinate the excursion with the Tristan administration. You can also go to Gough Island, which, like Inaccessible, was declared a wildlife reserve 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 weather station SANAP, which, in agreement with the British government, was placed here in 1956.

Doesn't exist on Tristan da Cunha organized tours, no hotels, no airport, no nightclubs and expensive restaurants, and no normal permanent transport links. However, he 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 (several months), realizing that they have found something that they were so missing before. The most important thing is to remember that your trip to Tristan da Cunha needs to be planned in advance, not two or three months in advance, but at least a year in advance.

Such increased attention to these islands at that time was by no means accidental. They were advantageously located on routes connecting the Old World and India and, moreover, were under the protectorate of England, which made them very popular. But the rapid prosperity 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 no pretext, so some of them were “attached” for scientific research, while the rest are engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and handicrafts.

You can go there for tourism purposes only to expand your geographical horizons - there is absolutely nothing to see there. Of the entire area of ​​the island, a small piece of land in the north is suitable for life, the rest is a volcano, which has made its appearance four times over the past 100 years. In addition to Tristan da Cunha, the archipelago includes three more smaller islands and many hillocks above sea level, which one wouldn’t dare call an island. So, everything except Tristan has no permanent residents.

Tristan is still registered in Britain, but this is more nominal, just so as not to be “passportless” and not to create another independent island state from nowhere.

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

For the last 60-odd years, the island has been governed by a council consisting of 10 people and the head of the council, who is also approved by the governor British island Saint Helena. Since the commune on the island is tiny, local politics are right at your fingertips: the reins of government are held by representatives of the most ancient families of immigrants to the island (in fact, the island is a very simplified model of migrant-type countries). Of the 11 members of the council, the head is a representative of the Lavarello clan, the council includes 4 representatives of the Repetto clan, 3 of the Green clan, 1 of the Rogers clan, 2 of the Glass clan. In total, the “Italians” have 5 out of 11 seats, the “Americans” – 3, the 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 Italian clans is a purely temporary phenomenon. Ian Lavarello generally became the first representative of his clan to be appointed to the position of chairman of the council.

It is not customary to shirk community work. It is always there: to fix the road, help in building a house, to crush the lava from which bricks will later be made. The entire list of work necessary for the community is compiled by the British manager.

There is little that can take the Council, or indeed all the other inhabitants of the island, by surprise, because for any conceivable situation they have an iron rule in reserve: to remember how the older generations of settlers acted in such cases. Traditions are what all actions here are based on. Why build a new restaurant building on the island? It would be better to leave everything as it is: how many years have you lived without a restaurant, and why do you need it now? Why build a new board building? After all, the old one is still quite good. What's the use of a satellite phone? After all, if something happens, the ship from Cape Town, at best, will reach here only in a week. In 1906, a volcanic eruption occurred, resulting in the death of livestock and potato plantations. People were resettled in Cape Town. As can be seen from these facts, all external relations of the island have long been limited to the support of the authorities from another British colony, the Cape of Good Hope (currently a 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 -