Some of the smallest inhabited islands in the world

Where are the world's smallest inhabited islands located?

The world's smallest islands attract tourists like a magnet. It's no surprise. They are ideal for those seeking relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of civilization, and they offer a variety of attractions in addition to spectacular views. The mere awareness of being on a tiny piece of land located on the oceanic infinity provides a sense of escape from the modern world, and this must be supplemented by the fact that life in most of these places moves at a completely different pace than anywhere else. What is the size of the world's smallest island? Look at the list below.

In a word of introduction, identifying the smallest islands in the world is not at all an easy task, and this is not only due to the fact that different sources indicate different areas. It should be remembered that under the influence of erosion, the surface of the land area changes dynamically. Besides, sea currents often divide islands into several smaller islets.

On the surface of the seas and oceans there is a whole bunch of tiny patches of dry land that are no more than a few hundred square meters in size. The thing is, in the vast majority they are not inhabited. What is more, such areas usually do not attract tourists. In our list we have therefore included small islands, which attract attention not only because of their modest surface.

Tiber Island (Isola Tiberina)

Our list opens with one of the two islands in the Tiber — Isola Tiberina, as the Italians call it. It’s located practically in the heart of Rome, and to get to it, all you have to do is cross the Ponte Fabricio — one of the oldest bridges in the city and the oldest of those that have never needed major renovation.

How small an island are we talking about? Isola Tiberina is 270 meters long and 67 meters wide. Its surface area is 18,000 square meters.

As legend has it, the islet was formed in 509 BC. It was then that King Tarquinius the Pygmy was overthrown. The citizens of the city threw the tyrant into the river. The silt carried by the current stuck to his body until the island was formed. It is known that its history dates back to the times before Rome was built on that land. It was used by salt workers who traveled to the mountains.

Just after the bridge, visitors are greeted by the imposing Torre Caenti, the only remnant of the medieval fortress that once defended access to the area. The right side of the island is occupied by a hospital complex, part of which is the picturesque church of S. Giovanni Calibita. The left side of the island is a small square, in the middle of which stands a monument with effigies of St. Bartholomew, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Paulino of Nola and St. John of God.

Visovac Island

We move to Croatia. On the surface of Lake Visovac, located in the Krka National Park, stands a small island, 200 meters long and 150 meters wide. In the 4th century AD, the hermits of St. Augustine lived there — the builder of the first church to stand on this small piece of land. In 1445, the small temple was expanded by Franciscans.

It was then that a magnificent monastery was built, in which an impressive book collection with an extremely rich collection of old prints is kept to this day. The island can be reached by a cruise ship.

Bishop Rock

It’s time for a real toddler in the world of islands. At Bishop Rock, the smallest countries in the world appear as real giants. This tiny island is actually a small rock with a lighthouse growing out of it. That’s it. More objects simply cannot fit on such a small piece of land. What size are we talking about? Bishop Rock is only 720 square meters!

The island belongs to the United Kingdom. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Scilly archipelago. The first lighthouse was built there in 1847. However, the structure was washed away by waves even before the work was completed. The current building in 1858. On September 1, for the first time shone the light. In 1992, the building was listed by English Heritage. In the early 21st century, a helipad was built on the roof of the 49-meter lighthouse.

Why was the lighthouse built on such a small island? This is due to the fact that Bishop Rock serves as the eastern terminus of the North Atlantic shipping line. Until the 1960s, it was used by transatlantic ships heading to the coast of New York.

Bishop Rock Island was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest island on which a building was constructed. However, this record is no longer valid as the smallest island in our list is now the last one.

Hub Island

To most people, the name Hub Island (or Just Room Enough Island) sounds completely foreign. No wonder, because on this small piece of land there is only… one house, and not a very impressive one at that. To better illustrate what we are actually talking about here, it is enough to quote the surface area of this island. In the case of Hub Island, this value is only 306 square meters! For comparison, Edinburgh Castle, which ranks tenth or last in the list of the world’s largest castles, has a surface area of 35737 square meters. A real abyss!

Hub Island belongs to the Thousand Islands archipelago. It is located in the USA, in the state of New York (on the St. Lawrence River, right on the border with Canada). Administratively, it is part of Alexandria Bay, in Jefferson County.

Hub Island has been owned by the Sizeland family since the 1950s. Their idea was to create a place to forget about the hustle and bustle of the big city. Well, apparently the owners succeeded in this art. On a small piece of land there is only a house, a tree and a bench. The available open space is minimal. Just enough to be able to step out in front of the property and enjoy the view. Walking? You can actually forget about that.

Living in such a place certainly has its charms, but without a shadow of a doubt, it also comes with some problems. It’s not about limited space, but about flooding. How do the Sizelands cope with this problem? We don’t know, but since they’ve lived there for over 70 years, apparently it’s not as difficult as you might think.

Hub Island is currently the world’s smallest inhabited island.