Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is the main settlement of the island of Tristan da Cunha
, in the Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
overseas territory of the United Kingdom
, in the South Atlantic Ocean
. Locally it is always referred to as The Settlement or The Village.
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is regarded as the most remote permanent settlement in the world, being over 1,500 miles (2400 kilometres) from the nearest human settlement, on Saint Helena
.
attempts to rescue Napoleon, imprisoned on Saint Helena
. The military garrison remained until the end of World War II
.
It is named after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Queen Victoria, when he visited the island in 1867.
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is the only major settlement of Tristan da Cunha, and contains a small port, the Administrator's residence, and the post office. It was damaged in a volcanic eruption on the island in 1961 which forced the entire population to abandon the settlement and move to the UK. The eruption destroyed the settlement's crayfish
factory.
After the return of most of the islanders in 1963, the settlement was rebuilt. The harbour at Edinburgh was named Calshot
Harbour, after the place in Hampshire
where the islanders temporarily stayed.
(Cfb, according to the Köppen climate classification
), with moderate temperatures throughout the year.
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...
, in the Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of the islands of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and the Tristan da Cunha group...
overseas territory of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in the South Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Locally it is always referred to as The Settlement or The Village.
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is regarded as the most remote permanent settlement in the world, being over 1,500 miles (2400 kilometres) from the nearest human settlement, on Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
.
History
The settlement was founded on the Tristan da Cunha island in 1816 by a Sergeant Glass from the Borders of Scotland after the UK annexed Tristan da Cunha. A military garrison was maintained on the islands as a guard against any FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
attempts to rescue Napoleon, imprisoned on Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
. The military garrison remained until the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
It is named after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Queen Victoria, when he visited the island in 1867.
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is the only major settlement of Tristan da Cunha, and contains a small port, the Administrator's residence, and the post office. It was damaged in a volcanic eruption on the island in 1961 which forced the entire population to abandon the settlement and move to the UK. The eruption destroyed the settlement's crayfish
Tristan rock lobster
The Tristan rock lobster, Jasus tristani, is a species of rock lobster endemic to the Tristan da Cunha archipelago and Vema Seamount, north-east of Tristan. It is very closely related to J. paulensis and these two may represent a single species. The Tristan rock lobster features on the coat of...
factory.
After the return of most of the islanders in 1963, the settlement was rebuilt. The harbour at Edinburgh was named Calshot
Calshot
Calshot is a coastal village in Hampshire, England at the west corner of Southampton_Water where it joins the Solent. A settlement at the site is believed to have existed since the fifth century AD...
Harbour, after the place in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
where the islanders temporarily stayed.
Climate
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas has a mild and humid oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Cfb, according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), with moderate temperatures throughout the year.