(#12) Unemployment Is A Major Problem
The unemployment rate in Diomede is very high, at approximately 40% as of 2011. Most of those who are employed have multiple jobs, often several part-time gigs. Hunting, fishing, ivory carving, and sewing are common supplementary jobs on top of or in lieu of full-time employment.
City infrastructure management - gas, electric, and construction - is the largest employer in Diomede, followed by the school, clinic, and general store. During the summertime, there are limited tourism opportunities. Due to the low population and overall lack of retail options, there are rarely new positions available.
(#5) Climate Change Threatens The Way Of Life On The Island
The Arctic Circle is climate change's canary in the coal mine, and its effects are hitting Diomede hard. After millennia of a reliable arctic climate with cool summers, the temperature has risen demonstrably in just 50 years.
"Holy cow, everybody was like, 'phew'... pretty soon we'll start growing palm trees," jokes resident Edward Soolook. The subsistence lifestyle is contingent on a stable ecosystem, and food security has taken a hit since the temperature started rising.
There are fewer walruses and seals with each passing year, jeopardizing a crucial element of the Diomede diet. The ice runway that originally accommodated the delivery jet planes is too thin to safely support regular flights, so the resource deliveries have been downsized to a helicopter. The permafrost is melting and the town is slowly beginning to shift down the coast, as much as two to six centimeters a year. As the surrounding ice begins to melt, Diomede becomes more vulnerable to storms as it is no longer protected by its environment.
(#10) Food Is Grotesquely Overpriced
While a subsistence diet is part of the cultural heritage of Diomede, it is also a necessity given the extreme markup on modern Western foods. Due to the high cost of shipping and importation, food and other household supplies are too expensive for most Diomede residents to afford.
A bottle of Tide laundry detergent costs $44.15, while a bag of sea salt costs $32.59. There is only one store that sells groceries in Diomede, so there is no system for competitive pricing. Given the inaccessibility of these basic household items, it's logical that Diomede residents would prefer their traditional way of life.
(#4) Living A Modern Life Has Proved Difficult In The Remote Island Community
As the shrinking census numbers suggest, it is difficult to live a modern life in a place as remote as Diomede. Outside factors like climate change and border conflict contribute to this difficulty, and the pressures of modernization are a major challenge facing the future of Diomede, especially when it comes to the younger generation.
Although Diomede traditions are still practiced, kids who grow up on Diomede are not entirely isolated from modern fixtures like video games and the internet. Their access is limited, but exposure to the outside world has made kids aware of their isolation. It is not unlikely that the younger generation will eventually leave the island.
Tribal leader Robert Soolook has a realistic and understanding perspective on the matter. When asked about the looming threat of relocation, he told National Geographic, "I'm sure they would vote [to] move... But like all animals, or any human who lives on Earth, [we] are adaptable."
(#8) Travel Between The Two Islands Has Proven Difficult
Theoretically, Diomede residents are able to travel freely from America to Russia without a visa permit. In reality, these expeditions have been few and far between. Though it is no longer enacted by law, the strength of the "Ice Curtain" that separates the two islands still exists.
There is no direct air or boat service from one side of the Bering Strait to the other. To get from Diomede to the nearest Russian port, one must take an expensive trip to the Alaskan mainland before flying to the Diomede Islands and then to the Russian mainland.
After arranging very expensive air travel, one must secure a formal invitation for the community that they would like to visit. Given the extreme isolation that the respective groups face, this is no simple task.
(#9) Resources Are Delivered To The Island
Due to its remote geographic location, the Diomede Islands require regular delivery service from a variety of vessels. Due to environmental issues, it is no longer logistically sound to have an airline runway on Little Diomede. Helicopters deliver mail weekly, and ski planes carrying supplies can sometimes manage to land during the winter.
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The Diomede Islands are a pair of rocky islands located in the middle of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia. Although the two islands are only 3.8 kilometers apart, they are separated by the international dateline, which also marks the Russian Separated from the national border with the United States. Although this is an archipelago, because it belongs to two countries, the inhabitants of the two islands have different fates. The Russian island became a military base, and the other island in the US developed into a small residential area.
The island on the left is Russian territory, and the right is an American territory. Although the two islands are very close, people cannot move around at will. You will find random 13 detailed information about the two tiny islands with the random tool.
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