Tristan da Cunha, British volcanic island in South Atlantic Ocean
Tristan da Cunha is a volcanic island in the South Atlantic that rises 2060 meters above sea level with a symmetrical cone of dark lava flows. The sole settlement, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, sits on the western coast in a sheltered valley surrounded by steep cliffs.
Settlement began in 1816 when English and Italian colonists arrived to establish a permanent community on the island. The 1961 eruption forced evacuation of all residents to England, but they returned after two years to rebuild their lives.
The residents of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas speak a distinctive dialect shaped by their isolation since settlement began. Local fishing practices and craft traditions are woven into everyday life on the island.
There is no airport on the island, so arrival requires a sea voyage of several weeks from South Africa by cargo ship. Monthly supply vessels bring goods and occasional visitors to the settlement.
The island hosts one of Earth's most isolated ecosystems with animals and plants found nowhere else in the world. Scientists have documented rare species unique to this location that draw international research interest.
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