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Discover the Top 12 Island Fun Facts: Intriguing Insights and Unbelievable Trivia for Your Next Adventure!

illustration of islands
Dive into a sea of knowledge as we embark on a voyage exploring fun facts about islands – those captivating, isolated gems sprinkled across our planet's vast oceans.

1. Bishop Rock: Lighthouse Royalty

If lighthouses had monarchs, Bishop Rock would surely wear the crown: This royal gem is the world's smallest inhabited island with a lighthouse and is home to the UK's tallest rock lighthouse, standing at an impressive 167 feet with 10 floors. Constructed in 1858 to prevent further shipwrecks like the disastrous HMS Association crash in 1707, Bishop Rock has been aptly nicknamed "King of the Lighthouses."
Source => atlasobscura.com

2. Philippines: Island-Hopping Heaven

Island Infinity & Beyond: the Philippines boasts a cluster of over 7,640 islands, with about 2,000 inhabited! These span across three main regions - Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao - offering an endless playground for oceanic island-hopping escapades doused in diverse cultural and natural splendor.
Source => nationalgeographic.com

3. Tristan da Cunha: Ultimate Seclusion

If you thought keeping up with the Kardashians was tricky, try keeping up with Tristan da Cunha's social scene: this remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean holds the title for the world's most isolated inhabited archipelago, housing only 250 residents and reachable solely by a six-day boat ride from Cape Town, South Africa.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Surtsey Island: Lab Coat Paradise

If you're looking for the ultimate "members-only" island experience, Surtsey Island is the place to be – but only if you're a scientist sporting a lab coat instead of a Hawaiian shirt: This Icelandic paradise, born out of a volcanic eruption in 1963 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is off-limits to tourists and reserved exclusively for research. Over the past 50 years, lucky scientists have chronicled the island's evolution, cataloging 69 plant species and 14 bird species that call Surtsey home.
Source => csmonitor.com

Manhattan Purchase: Historical Receipt Mystery

5. Manhattan Purchase: Historical Receipt Mystery

Ever get that sinking feeling when you realize you can't find the receipt for your island purchase? Turns out, the Dutch probably know a thing or two about that: The 1626 purchase of Manhattan Island from Native Americans for a measly $60 worth of goods is a bit of a historical enigma, as there's no solid evidence about the exact transaction details, the individuals involved, or even the specific date - not to mention the vast differences in the European and Indigenous people's concept of land ownership that further muddy the waters of our understanding.
Source => livescience.com

6. Jeju Island: Volcanic Double Feature

Lava-landia's tropical cousin and hot-headed Earth interior enthusiast, Jeju Island, knows a thing or two about throwing a mind-blowing volcanic party: Sporting a diverse lineup of geological marvels, including scoria cones and pyroclastic rocks, this South Korean island features not one, but two distinct magma series – alkalic and sub-alkalic – offering invaluable insight into our planet's mantle and continental margin magmatism.
Source => academic.oup.com

7. Pig Beach: Swine Swim Club

'Cue the "Baywatch" theme song for these unlikely swimmers': Big Major Cay, nicknamed Pig Beach for its fascinating pig population, is home to feral pigs that can actually swim in the crystal clear waters of the Bahamas, making for a popular tourist attraction and a treat for locals who help feed these adaptable creatures.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Maldives: Tropical Two-World Tango

Move over Atlantis, there's a new mysterious island nation in town: The Maldives, with its 1,200 mostly uninhabited islands sitting no more than six feet above sea level, is one beach vacation away from becoming the world's favorite underwater playground. While this tropical paradise caters to tourists on resort islands, the capital, Male, and other inhabited islands preserve their Muslim customs and prohibit alcohol, making "Maldivian nights" a tale of two worlds.
Source => earthsky.org

9. Manhattan: Concrete Money Forest

Whoever said "money doesn't grow on trees" clearly didn't take a gander at that concrete forest they call Manhattan: With a per capita income above $100,000, it stands tall as the only county in the United States to reach such heights while hosting behemoths like NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange.
Source => worldpopulationreview.com

Necker Island: Playground for the Stars

10. Necker Island: Playground for the Stars

If your wildest fantasies involve sharing a cabana with Mariah Carey, strumming an air guitar with Ronnie Wood, or playing beach volleyball against Barack Obama on a dreamy island resort, we have found your promised land: Necker Island, part of the British Virgin Islands, was uninhabited until Sir Richard Branson turned it into a luxurious haven for up to 34 guests at a time, costing Β£40,000 a night. The island suffered some significant hurricane damage but was back on its fabulous feet by April 2018.
Source => thesun.co.uk

11. Male': Space-Efficient Capital

If Male' were a person, it'd be a hoarder: a resourceful one, renowned for possessing everything under the sun in a jam-packed abode that sports a 'constant rush hour' vibe - and probably never heard of Marie Kondo: Male' is the capital of the Maldives, the smallest one in the world by land area, and it's home to a whopping 150,000 people squished into just 6 square kilometers. Alongside its bustling streets, this tiny island is the nation's main supply hub and proudly houses an international airport merely a 10-minute ferry ride away.
Source => maldivesfinest.com

12. Indonesia: Language Party Central

If language were a party, Indonesia would be the world's most happening club: this fascinating archipelago boasts over 1,300 ethnic groups who rock out to more than 700 different linguistic jams, giving it the distinction of being one of the most culturally diverse countries on the globe.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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