Explore the World’s Most Extraordinary Islands: A Journey Through the Strange, Scary, Remote, and Naturally Odd
Dive into a captivating exploration of 33 of the world’s most unique and enigmatic islands, each with its own compelling story. This visually stunning book is divided into four sections, each revealing a different facet of these extraordinary locales:
Strange Uncover islands that defy the ordinary. From Ocean Flower in China, an artificial lotus-shaped archipelago now mired in financial ruin, to The World off Dubai, a man-made archipelago mimicking the world map, these islands challenge the boundaries of imagination. Marvel at the Floating City in the Pacific, a visionary eco-island, and learn about Pheasant Island, which changes national allegiance every six months.
Scary Venture into the eerie and unsettling. Discover Runit Island’s ominous concrete dome packed with nuclear waste, or the haunting remains of Hashima Island, a decaying relic of Japan’s industrial past. Experience the chilling history of Vozrozhdeniya Island, the Soviet biological weapons site now abandoned but still perilous.
Remote Journey to the furthest corners of the earth. Explore the isolated Robesons Islands, the forgotten Nauru, and Inaccessible Island, a volcanic outpost rarely seen by human eyes. Visit the United States Minor Outlying Islands and Fort Jefferson, remote and enigmatic outposts of the American landscape. Encounter North Sentinel Island, home to the world’s last uncontacted tribe.
Naturally Odd Marvel at nature’s peculiar creations. Witness Rene-Lavasseur, a circular island formed by a meteor impact, and Chars of Assam, river islands that shift with the silt. Discover the magical floating islands of Pumice and Hunga Tonga, and the pristine Surtsey, a new island where scientists study the beginnings of life.
Each chapter is a voyage into islands of wonder and mystery, offering a unique perspective on our planet’s most intriguing and lesser-known corners. Whether it’s an exploration of ambitious human endeavors or natural marvels, this book is a visual and narrative feast for the curious traveller.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Strange Islands
Ocean Flower (China): The Lotus Archipelago
The World (Dubai): A Man-Made Map
Green Float/Floating City: The Eco-Utopia
Pheasant Island: The Bilingual Border
North Brother Island (New York): The Forgotten Quarantine
Eustasia: Larry Page’s Private Retreat
Caye Sable (Haiti): The World’s Densest Island
Kihnu Islands (Estonia): Europe’s Last Matriarchy
Scary Islands
Runit (Marshall Islands): The Nuclear Tomb
Hashima (Japan): The Battleship Island
Vozrozhdeniya Island: The Biological Weapons Graveyard
Fiery Cross (South China Sea): China’s Military Outpost
The Sierra Madre (Philippines): The Rusting Frontier
Thilafushi (Maldives): The Trash Island
The Pacific Trash Vortex: The Floating Waste
Remote Islands
The Robesons (Panama)
The Hidden Kuna
Nauru: The Stripped-Down Nation
Inaccessible Island: The Ultimate Isolation
The United States Minor Outlying Islands: America’s Hidden Outposts
Fort Jefferson (Florida): The Distant Fortress
North Sentinel Island: The Uncontacted Tribe
San Nicolas (California): The Lone Woman’s Refuge
Naturally Odd Islands
Rene-Lavasseur (Quebec): The Crater Island
Chars of Assam (India): The Shifting River Islands
The Minkies (Jersey): The Tidal Mirage
Magic Island (Titan): The Enigmatic Moon
Socotra (Yemen): The Island of Unusual Flora
Kvarken Archipelago (Finland/Sweden): The Emerging Islands
Pumice Island: The Floating Lava
Graham Island: The Vanishing Island
La Rota (Italy): The Floating Island of Lazio
Hunga Tonga: The Erupting Newcomer
Surtsey (Iceland): The Pristine Laboratory
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index
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Weight:750.00