There’s two islands (Big Diomede & Little Diomede) in the Bering Strait which are only 2.4 mi (3.8 km) apart but separated by the International Date Line, causing a 21 hour time difference. They were nicknamed Tomorrow Island and Yesterday Island. The big island is Russian and the little island is American.
Islands
There is a fictional island…
There is a fictional island in the South Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa called ‘Null Island’. Although it doesn’t exist in reality, it serves as an error trap for map systems. Map enthusiasts have given the island its own history, geography and even flag.
The world’s largest island-in-a-lake-on-an-island-in-a-lake-on-an-island
The world’s largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island is in Canada. It doesn’t have a name.
Southern Thule Capture the Flag Game
Argentina invaded the British island of Southern Thule in 1976.
The island was uninhabited and is so remote that the British weren’t aware of the invasion for over a month. When it was discovered that the Argentinians had set up a permanent military base and weather station there it was decided that diplomacy (secretly) was the smartest choice. It leaked to the press about a year later and Operation Journeyman was started to force a peaceful (albeit with the military) resolution.
It wasn’t until after the Falklands War ended that the British forced Argentina to leave (with shells fired at the island to force a surrender). But 6 months later an Argentine flag appeared on the island again.
How the British flag was replaced with the Argentinian one is unclear, although they did leave the British one neatly folded under a rock nearby. The British decided not to play the ‘replace the flag’ game and instead destroyed all the buildings (bar one small hut for emergencies) and left the British flag on the pole as they left.
Over 150 bison live on an island….
Over 150 bison live on an island off the coast of California. Originally 14 of them were transported to the island in 1924 for a silent film and were then left there by the production crew where they flourished. 50 more and they’ll be celebrating their bisontennial.
There’s an island in Scotland…
There’s an island in Scotland owned by Tibetan Buddhists because the previous owner had a dream in which the Virgin Mary told her to give it to them.
The community of Puʻuwai…
The community of Puʻuwai, Hawaii and the entire island it is located on, is off limits to anyone except residents and official visitors. Tourists are not allowed. Tourists aren’t allowed because the entire island is private property. A rich white person bought the whole dang thing 150 years ago.
Pitcairn Island is the least populous..
Pitcairn Island is the least populous national jurisdiction in the world. Its 50 inhabitants are descended mostly from a group of 9 mutineers, who settled on the island in 1790.
The largest brick building in the Americas…
The largest brick building in the Americas is located on an uninhabited island 68 miles west of Key West.
There is an inland island in Canada…
There is an inland island in Canada that is larger in area than the lake in which it is situated. The geological structure was formed by the impact of a meteorite 214 million years ago. The meteorite is believed to have been about 5 km in diameter, and would have hit the earth at a speed of 17 km/s, the fourth most powerful known impact that Earth has seen.