ISLAND COUNTRIES THE LEAST VISITED
Added on: 9th Jan 2016
MADAGASCAR
With 222,000 annual visitors, Madagascar is located off Africa’s south
eastern coast, Madagascar is one of the most ecologically diverse
countries on Earth – 90% of species in Madagascar are only found
on the island, largely due to its break-away from the Indian
subcontinent 88 million years ago. Madagascar is still a relatively
poor island country – though it is developing – but it has highlighted
ecotourism as a primary future source of income. If you visit, though,
know that you won’t see any lions and zebras as in the
“Madagascar” movies.
FRENCH POLYNESIA
Technically a French overseas territory, French Polynesia is a
collection of 118 islands and atolls distributed throughout the
South Pacific. Receiving administrative autonomy in 2004, the
islands are often referred to as a pays d’outre-mer (overseas country).
Home to the better-known Tahiti and Bora Bora, French Polynesia
thrills its visitors with native black Tahitian pearls and sprawling
beaches. To get around the islands, Air Tahiti flies out of its only
international airport, Faaa International Airport, to the 53
airports located throughout the islands.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Making up the eastern part of New Guinea (the western part is
owned by Indonesia), Papua New Guinea is one of the most
culturally diverse countries on Earth with 836 languages spoken
within the country. One of the least explored countries in the world,
Papua New Guinea is thought to harbour plenty of undiscovered
species and many unknown cultural traditions. Unique to the
country is its constitutional insistence that its traditional
villages remain a vibrant and important part of society.
PALAU
A 250-island nation, Palau has been inhabited for over 3,000 years.
Palau’s relatively remote position in the Western Pacific makes it one
of the least visited islands in the world. Due to fighting between the
United States and Japan during World War II, Palau has plenty of
shipwrecks which are popular with divers visiting the sites and barrier
reefs. Its limestone islands draw in ocean lovers as does its
recently announced shark sanctuary covering an ocean area the
size of France.
GRENADA
Grenada receives 134,000 visitors on its coasts. Near Venezuela’s
north eastern coast, Grenada is nicknamed the “Island of Spice” due
to its wide production of nutmeg and mace. The local population
is primarily (82%) descendants of African slaves who have strongly
influenced the culture over hundreds of years. The second largest
ethnic group – Indian descendants – have also added in their own
cultural mix, especially food-wise.
COOK ISLANDS
Located in the Southern Pacific Ocean, the Cook Islands are in free
association with New Zealand (meaning the Kiwis covers the islands’
defence and foreign affairs and all Cook Islanders are New Zealand
citizens). Primarily ethnically Maori, the islands are sustained primarily
through tourism followed by offshore banking, agricultural and marine
exports. If you’re interested in visiting, it’s easy to catch flights to the
remote islands from Auckland and Sydney (and even a direct flight
from Los Angeles).
SAMOA
Samoa – formerly named Western Samoa and different from
American Samoa – is an Oceanian country to the northeast of
Australia. Rising out of the Pacific due to volcanic eruptions, the
islands are popular with adventurers looking to climb their
highest mountain, Mt. Silisili, at 6,096ft (1,858m). Unique to any
visit is running into the fa’a Samoa: the traditional Samoan way.
Despite centuries of colonial rule, Samoans have never lost their
strong ties to traditions and their cultural history.
ST. KITTS & NEVIS
The sister islands of St. Kitts and Nevis were among the first
islands European explorers settled in as they began their conquest
of the Americas. (St. Kitts, particularly, housed the first British and
French colonies in the Caribbean Sea.) The smallest sovereign state
in the Americas (both area- and population-wise), the country is a
popular cruise disembarkment port and the 114,000 visitors it
received in 2014 (according to the World Trade Organization) may be
underestimating the true numbers. Nonetheless, the islands are
little-known and just a short hop away from North and South America
for anyone looking for a beach vacation.
VANUATU
Vanuatu is a y-shaped collection of 82 islands northwest of New Zealand.
Vanuatu has the highest per capita density of languages in the world.
In fact, each language has an average of 2,000 speakers. Formed as a
result of Pacific volcanic activity, Vanuatu still has various active
volcanoes on land as well as many underwater. The devastating
Cyclone Pam in March 2015 was the worst natural disaster is
Vanuatu’s history and has sharply harmed its tourism industry so give
it a few years before you decide to check out this remote island-group.
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