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ISLAND COUNTRIES THE LEAST VISITED

Added on: 9th Jan 2016

 

 

MADAGASCAR

Madagascar_baobab

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

bora bora 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

US_Navy_080811-N-8878B-434_The_Military_Sealift_Command_hospital_ship_USNS_Mercy_(T-AH_19)_anchored_off_the_coast_of_Papua_New_Guinea_in_support_of_Pacific_Partnership_2008

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

Milky_Way,_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

Grand_Anse_Beach_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

Muri_Beach,_Rarotonga,_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

To_Sua_Ocean_Trench_-_Lotofaga_village_-_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

Stkitts-view-lookingatsea

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

Iririki,_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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