Surtsey was first observed on November 14, 1963, as a pillar of smoke on the water some ways south of Iceland. The very next day lava and tephra broke the surface of the Atlantic and by May, 1964 the formation had grown to 2.4 km². Over the next three years lava eruptions continued, coating the loose debris in a hard shell and protecting it from erosion. An island born. Naturally, Surtsey has been under close scientific observation since its emergence, and courtesy The Surtsey Research Society you can read published reports on the geology and biological colonization of this new earth.
posted on Jul 17, 2008 - View this thread

New Kiribati "...will future climate change refugees become a new caste of service sector workers inhabiting a sort of Floating Hotel & Duty Free Mall ... ?" Small island states are on the front line.
posted on Jun 19, 2008 - View this thread

274 Atolls.
posted on Apr 6, 2008 - View this thread

Andy Strangeway decided to spend a night on each of the 162 Scottish islands. This is his story.
posted on Nov 19, 2007 - View this thread

Largest lake on an island, in a lake, on an island, in a...
posted on Jun 11, 2007 - View this thread

Chaffee, White, Grissom & Freeman are the names of four artificial islands immediately off the Southern California port of Long Beach. From the shore, they each look like an inhabited island paradise, complete with waterfalls, interesting buildings, many palm trees and crazy nighttime party lighting. In fact, they are offshore oil wells, built on 10 acre Dubai-esque man-made islands created for the purpose of housing the oil wells, and disguised so as to comply with local aesthetic standards.
posted on Apr 11, 2007 - View this thread

Vatu Vara Thinking of using that spare $75mil. to purchase that apartment on top of the Pierre hotel? Wouldn't you really be happier here...
posted on Sep 29, 2006 - View this thread

Attention lovers of privacy & salt air! This island, the house on top of it, and the bridge connecting it to the mainland are all on sale for a mere 750,000 pounds.
posted on Sep 9, 2006 - View this thread

Ghost Islands. Hashima: The Ghost Island. San Borondon: The Ghost Island. Ballale: The Ghost Island. Kandolhudhoo: The Ghost Island. Pulau Hantu: The Ghost Island.
posted on Sep 3, 2006 - View this thread

The Kingdom of Redonda. In 1865, a Caribbean trader laid claim to a small island near Antigua, and declared himself king. His son, M.P. Shiel, was an author of fantasy fiction. When Shiel died in 1947, he left the island to a young poet, John Gawsworth, King Juan I of Redonda.
posted on Mar 24, 2006 - View this thread

Tristan da Cunha has just been assigned its first postcode by the Royal Mail. This makes it easier for the inhabitants of these remote chunks of rock to receive mail. Easier, but still not easy - to get there, packages must first make their way to Cape Town and then travel 2,800 miles by fishing boat.
posted on Aug 7, 2005 - View this thread

Who wants to own the United Kingdom? Slightly used, with annex. Rains a bit. Trains often late. Nice gardens. Food dubious, but lots of places to drink. Only 8.8 trillion dollars. I'm sure other countries could be bought for cheaper, and the citizens would probably be more willing to sell. If you really want your own private island, these would be the best people to speak to.
posted on Dec 29, 2003 - View this thread

Visit The Palm. For a day, for a lifetime.
posted on May 13, 2003 - View this thread

The tiny island nation of Nauru (pop 12,329) once had one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world. Recently, though, the "poor little rich kid of the Pacific" has dissolved into political chaos. In an address three weeks ago, just before the country's telecommunications network collapsed, President Bernard Dowiyogo said, “You are all aware and conscious of our critical situation.” Since then – silence. (via boingboing)
posted on Feb 21, 2003 - View this thread

The Kerguelen Islands, you say? This guy wanted to go there. This guy went. Him too. And this poor fellow just wants to be a part of it all. What's the attraction? Though not much may have happened there, there are some stunning views. But I think it's the cabbage.
posted on Jan 28, 2003 - View this thread

Island... Get Your Island Here! This is the sale of the century - everything must go! (and if you believe that's possible, then i've got a bridge to sell you...)
posted on Dec 10, 2002 - View this thread

Do you dream of living on a secluded island surrounded by all of the ice cream you could eat? Here is your chance! And have you ever heard of anyone actually winning one of these essay contests?
posted on Dec 13, 2001 - View this thread

If you are concerned about global warming, you must watch this film
Some Mefi context
posted on May 3, 2001 - View this thread

Barry Weaver from the University of Oklahoma has a neat Web site on the islands Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha. These islands belong to Britain and are in the South Atlantic, a few thousand miles from Africa. Weaver's pages may not be the prettiest, but the content is interesting, especially the photo-tour of each island.
posted on Nov 2, 1999 - View this thread