Tristan da Cunha | Remote Island, Atlantic Ocean | Britannica (original) (raw)

Tristan da Cunha, island and group of islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between southern Africa and South America. The island group is a constituent part of the British overseas territory of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The six small islands of the Tristan da Cunha group are administered collectively. Five of them—Tristan da Cunha, Inaccessible, Nightingale, Middle, and Stoltenhoff—are located within 25 miles (40 km) of one another, and the sixth, Gough, lies about 200 miles (320 km) south-southeast of the group. The territory is located approximately 1,300 miles (2,100 km) to the south of St. Helena. Inaccessible, Nightingale, Middle, and Stoltenhoff are uninhabited, while a weather station is manned on Gough Island.

Tristan da Cunha island, the largest and northernmost of the group, is roughly circular, with a coastline of 21 miles (34 km) and a central volcanic cone (6,760 feet [2,060 metres]) that is usually cloud-covered. The climate is wet, windy, and mild. About 66 inches (1,675 mm) of rain falls annually on the north coast at Edinburgh of the Seven Seas (frequently shortened to Edinburgh), the only permanent settlement. Plant and animal life includes elephant seals and other species not found elsewhere in the world.

Gough IslandGough Island, part of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, southern Atlantic Ocean.

Gough and Inaccessible islands together constitute a wildlife reserve, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. Inaccessible is about 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest of Tristan da Cunha. It is ringed by cliffs some 1,000 feet (300 metres) high, and beneath the cliffs are occasional narrow beaches. A bird endemic to Inaccessible is the small, flightless land rail. Nightingale Island, the southernmost of the group, is 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Inaccessible and 20 miles (32 km) south-southwest of Tristan da Cunha. Its coasts have low cliffs where millions of seabirds nest. The tiny islands of Middle and Stoltenhoff abut the north coast of Nightingale. Gough Island is about 8 miles (13 km) long and 4 miles (6 km) wide and is of volcanic origin.

Britannica Quiz Islands and Archipelagos

Executive authority is vested in a governor, who is also the governor of St. Helena and resides on that island. The governor appoints an administrator to represent him or her in Tristan da Cunha. An Island Council advises the administrator; it has three ex officio members and eight elected members. The administrator serves as president of the Island Council.

The island group was discovered in 1506 by a Portuguese admiral, Tristão da Cunha. Two unsuccessful attempts to settle the islands during the 17th century and one in 1810 preceded the stationing of a British garrison on Tristan da Cunha in 1816, when the island group was formally annexed by the United Kingdom. When the garrison was withdrawn in 1817, three of its members chose to stay, and over the years they were joined by shipwrecked sailors, settlers of European extraction, and women from St. Helena. By 1886 there were 97 inhabitants. The settlement, named Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, was located on the largest lowland strip, about 0.5 mile (0.8 km) wide and 5 miles (8 km) long. In 1938 the six islands were made dependencies of St. Helena. During World War II a naval meteorological and radio station was set up on Tristan da Cunha; afterward a South African weather station was also established there.

A volcanic eruption on the island in October 1961 directly threatened the settlement, and the inhabitants were evacuated to England via Nightingale Island. The main body of 198 islanders returned to the island in November 1963. A new harbour was built in 1965–67. Roads and a hospital, as well as electric, water, and sewerage facilities, were later constructed. After a hurricane severely damaged Edinburgh in May 2001, aid flowed in from abroad to pay for rebuilding. According to the terms of the 2009 constitution drawn up for the islands, Tristan da Cunha was no longer a dependency of St. Helena but an equal part of the territory of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha,

Potatoes are the main crop and shore-based shellfish fishing the main industry; lobster and crawfish are exported. Livestock is raised for domestic consumption. Sales of the island’s postage stamps and coins also contribute to revenue. Area Tristan da Cunha island, 38 square miles (98 square km). Pop. (2014 est.) Tristan da Cunha island, 269.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray.