10 Most Desolate Places on Earth

Tristan Da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean

Tristan Da Cunha, a volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, is the most remote point on Earth inhabited by humans. It occupies 38 square miles and has 238 permanent inhabitants, all British citizens. The economy is based on subsistence farming, fishing, stamps, and limited tourism. Tristan Da Cunha is 1,750 miles from Cape Town, South Africa, and requires a six-day boat trip from South Africa.

Pitcairn Islands, Southern Pacific Ocean

Pitcairn Island, a two-square-mile volcanic island in the Southern Pacific Ocean, is inhabited by people descended from the mutineers of HMAV Bounty and their Tahitian companions. The population dwindled after a 2004 child sexual abuse scandal, leading to government efforts to give land away for free. The island is now open for tourism, with freighter ships from New Zealand and sailing schedules available.

Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is a remote island in Chile, located 2,200 miles off the coast. It is known for its 887 moai statues, carved by the Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500 C.E. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the closest landmass to the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, Point Nemo. It is more than 1,000 miles from the coasts of Easter Island, Ducie Island, and Maher Island off Antarctica.

Devon Island, Canada

Devon Island, Canada's largest uninhabited island, is home to NASA's seasonal simulation expeditions, named after its 12.5-mile-wide, 23-million-year-old meteorite impact crater, Haughton. The island's cold, rocky landscape has led to the testing of robots, spacesuits, drills, and other space tools since the 1990s. Cornwallis Island, with a population of 200, is 50 miles away.

Kerguelen Islands, Southern Indian Ocean

The Kerguelen Islands, also known as the Desolation Islands, are located over 2,000 miles from civilization. Grande Terre is the largest island in the volcanic archipelago, a French territory of 300 islands. No native people live on the islands, but a small population of scientists live and conduct research in the only settlement, Port-aux-Français. Travel to the Kerguelen Islands is limited to a four-year ship departure.

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

Ittoqqortoormiit, a remote settlement in Greenland, is home to 450 people, surrounded by uninhabited land. The area is known for its wildlife and marine life, including polar bears, seals, muskoxen, halibut, and whales. The settlement is frozen for nine months out of the year and has a local pub. Residents can travel by helicopter or boat to and from the nearest airport.

Oymyakon, Russia

Oymyakon, Russia, is the coldest inhabited place on Earth, with a record low temperature of minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit. With a northerly position, the sky is dark for 21 hours a day during winter and only three hours in summer. The town is a two-day drive from the nearest major city, but locals survive by consuming reindeer and horse milk for micronutrients and ox meat for calories.

The Changtang, Tibet

The Changtang, located on the Tibetan Plateau, is one of the highest points on Earth, standing at four miles above sea level. The region has a cold climate with Arctic-like winters and short, warm summers. It is home to a few hundred thousand nomads, including Changpa, chiru, snow leopards, kiang, brown bears, black-necked cranes, and wild yaks. The majority of the area is protected under the Changtang Nature Reserve.

Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, located 9,000 feet above sea level on a drifting ice sheet, is one of the coldest places on Earth. With only one day and night per year, temperatures can drop as low as minus 90 degrees Celsius. Despite not being inhabited, the station has been continuously occupied by 50 to 200 American researchers since its construction in 1956.

Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica

Villa Las Estrellas, a Chilean village and research station on King George Island, Antarctica, is home to fewer than 200 people. Established in 1984, it includes 14 homes, a branch of the Bank of Credit, a public school, a post office, a gymnasium, a hostel, and a souvenir shop. Most residents are scientists or Chilean military personnel. Dogs are not allowed due to potential canine disease risks, and residents only see Adélie penguins and elephant seals.