Most remote places & islands on Earth

BOME, Dec. 15, 2010 (Xinhua) -- Two bearers walk ahead to Medog by walking through Galung La Tunnel on the highway linking Bome and Medog in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region for the first time, Dec. 15, 2010.

From dense rainforests to archipelagos in the middle of nowhere, our planet is full of places that don’t appear on the usual tourist maps. Click through to take a look at some of the remotest locations in the world.

Kangla Pass (5100 meters) between Miyar and Zanskar Valleys, Lunana, Himalayas, Bhutan

Lunana, Bhutan

More people have climbed Mount Everest than have reached this remote location in Bhutan’s northern district of Ghasa. The region lies almost entirely within the country’s protected areas. Lunana village also lies on the route of the famous Snowman Trek, one of the most rigorous treks in the Himalayan region.

Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia

Located at the northernmost point of mainland Australia, the Cape York Peninsula is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth. The region is inhabited by just 18,000 people, mostly Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. The place is known for its wild tropical environments, sweeping savannah woodlands, and eucalyptus forests — unknown to outsiders as getting there is a feat in itself.

Deception Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Deception Island is a secluded, uninhabited island set in the remote icy Antarctic. It was once a center of whaling and housed several scientific bases until violent volcanic eruptions pushed them out. To reach the bay of the island, ships must navigate through the narrow, risky entrance popularly known as Neptune’s Bellows.

Oymyakon, Sakha Republic, Russia

One of the coldest permanently inhabited places on the planet, this rural spot is home to just 500 people. It’s located in the heart of Siberia also known as “Stalin’s Death Ring.” In winters, the days can be as short as three hours long, and it takes a three-day-long drive to reach the nearest city of Yakutsk.

Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile

The island is located in the southeastern Pacific and is considered to be one of the remotest settlements in the world. According to a 2012 census, the island had a population of 5,761 people. It is located 2,182 miles (3,512 km) from the continental mainland of central Chile. Dotted with the mysterious Maoi sculptures, this place is perfect for those who want to experience the raw, untouched beauty of nature.

Ittoqqortoormiit Village, Greenland

This isolated town is home to seals, walruses, polar bears and Arctic foxes. It has a single grocery store for its 450 residents. The town is approachable via a helicopter shuttle service operated by Ittoqqortoormiit Heliport, with boat transfers possible only a few times during the year.

Socotra island, Yemen

Most species of plants and animals found on this remote island — located 150 miles (240 km) east of the Horn of Africa — are not found anywhere else on the planet. Often described as “the most alien-looking place on Earth,” you’d have to navigate the pirate-infested waters of Somalia to reach the island. Very few chartered flights also service the island.

Bomê County, Tibet Autonomous Region

Part of the Tibetan realm since the early 20th century, this tiny county remained isolated even within Tibet due to its inhabitants’ reputation as savages.

Amazon rainforest, Brazil

While the rainforests in Brazil have featured in movies, magazines and scientific channels over the years, they still are one of the most diverse and unexplored regions in the world. The forests are home to some of the most exotic flora and fauna on the planet, as well as the indigenous tribe known as the Vale do Javari.

Amundsen-Scott research base, South Pole

An airstrip operates several flights per day between October and February to this United States scientific research station. During winters, the station is almost completely isolated and is inhabited by a group of around 50 people. The area is also known as the southern “pole of inaccessibility,” the point of Antarctica farthest from any coastline.

Barrow, Alaska, United States of America

The city of Barrow is the northernmost city in the United States and the 11th northernmost public community in the world. The roads are non-existent and the only way to reach the city is by air. The city has been home to native Inupiat Eskimo people for the past 1,000 years.

Supai, Arizona, United States

This town is so remote that the U.S. Census Bureau missed it while conducting the 2000 census. Ten years later, the bureau estimated the population of the town to be 208. It is also the only place in the U.S. where mail is delivered via mules. The most remote place in the southern 48 states of the United States, the settlement can only be approached by helicopter, hiking or a mule ride.

Mt. Ama Dablam, Nepal

Though it is the third most popular Himalayan peak for permitted expedition, it is considered to be one of the most technically challenging and difficult mountain peaks to climb. Known as The Matterhorn of the Himalayas, its main peak is 22,349 ft (6,812 meters) high.

Laguna Verde, Bolivia

This salt lake is located at the southernmost tip of Bolivia near the remote town of Uyuni. The lake is one of the few colored lakes on the planet and gets its colors from the mineral suspension of arsenic in its soil. Several mountains surround the lake, including the Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano in the world. There are no air routes connecting the area, which is accessible only by bus or train.

Macquarie Island, Australian Antarctic

The island is located almost halfway between Australia and Antarctica and is the most remote Australian island. It is also an idle breeding ground for all sorts of flora and fauna. Every year around 3.5 million seabirds and 80,000 elephant seals arrive at the island to breed and molt.

Svalbard, Norway

The island is most popular for the Global Seed Vault, an underground store of various plant seeds, which are stored in case of a global catastrophe. The archipelago is situated north of Mainland Europe, between Norway and the North Pole.

Kerguelen Islands (France), southern Indian Ocean

Also known as Desolation Islands, the population in the region fluctuates between 110 in summer to 45 in winter. There are no airports or airstrips, so the only possible mode of transport is via ship, which must navigate the rough waters of the Indian Ocean. Only four such trips take place each year.

La Rinconada, Peru

Located at an altitude of 16.732 feet (5,100 m) on a permanently frozen glacier, it is claimed to be the highest inhabited place in the world. Trucks — the only mode of transport to access the city — must complete several day-long journeys across treacherous mountains to reach this remote town.

Pitcairn Island, Southern Pacific Ocean

Inhabited by 50 people, the island has not seen a newborn in the last four years, making it the least populous national jurisdiction in the world. There is only one general store, which is open three days a week, and the only way to reach the island is through longboats that operate from New Zealand, 3,000 miles (4,828 km) away.

Chang Tang highlands, Ladakh, India

Most part of Chang Tang is inhabited and inhospitable. It’s home to an indigenous nomadic population whose main occupation is rearing the famous Pashmina wool from local goats. There are no paved roads and the only way to get around is on yaks. In 2009, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre named the plateau as the world’s most remote place.

Tristan da Cunha, southern Atlantic Ocean

With a population of 297 residents, the island is part of the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world. It is located 1,243 miles (2,000 km) from the nearest inhabited land and 1,491 miles (2,400 km) from the nearest continental land, South Africa. It is accessible only via a six-day-long boat journey from South Africa.

International Space Station

Not technically on Earth, of course: the ISS is located at an altitude of 400 km from the surface of the Earth and travels at a speed of 17,895 mph (28,800 kmph). The station was completed after 136 space flights on seven different types of launch vehicles. So far, it has been visited by 211 people from 15 different countries.

Ahead: Remote islands you must include in your travel list

From islands where penguins outnumber human beings to those where coins featuring Pokémon characters are legal tenders, there are several far-flung islands — both tiny and huge — with unique characteristics throughout the globe. Let’s take a look at what makes them so distinctive.

Bear Island, Norway

The Bear Island, or Bjørnøya, is the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago — located in the western Barents Sea. It was discovered by Dutch explorers in 1956. The island lies 247 miles (397 km) from mainland Norway. Apart from a handful of people who man the island’s meteorological station Herwighamna, Bear Island is uninhabited. It was declared a nature reserve in 2002.

Niue

About 1,491 miles (2,400 km) away from New Zealand lies the independent island nation of Niue. With 1,300 inhabitants, the islanders introduced coins featuring Pokémon characters as legal medium of payment in 2001. Niue became the world’s first “Wi-Fi nation” in 2003 with free Internet access provided across the country.

Tristan da Cunha, British Overseas Territory

This remote volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean lie 1,750 miles (2,816 km) away from the nearest continental land of Africa. However, it has a U.K. postcode — TDCU 1ZZ. Home to just 301 individuals, it is a great spot for bird-watching, with rare species like northern rockhopper penguins, Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses, sooty albatrosses, Atlantic petrels, and great-winged petrels found aplenty.

Tromelin Island, France

Discovered by France in 1722, the island lies 280 miles (450 km) away from Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. While the island is administered as a French overseas territory. Mauritius claims sovereignty over it. Tromelin has a tragic history: in 1760, an East India Company vessel shipwrecked here on its way to Mauritius. After two months, the stranded sailors had built a boat, set sail and was never heard of again. They had left behind a group of 60 slaves. Fifteen years later, when a ship arrived to rescue them, only seven women and a baby remained.

COURTESY MSN.COM