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(#1) Big Diomede And Little Diomede Are Two Small Islands Separated By The Russian-US Border
Big Diomede and Little Diomede are two neighboring islands located in the center of the Bering Strait. The border between Russia and America lies in the gap between the two islands, which is just over 2 miles wide. Big Diomede is Russian territory, and Little Diomede is considered a part of Alaska.
The islands are flat-topped and rocky, surrounded by rough seas and heavy fog. The village of Diomede is located on the western shore of Little Diomede.
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(#2) The Islands Are Nearly A Day Apart
While the two islands are only a little over two miles apart, the International Date Line lies in the narrow passage between them, putting Big Diomede almost an entire day ahead of its American counterpart. The islands are colloquially called "Yesterday and Tomorrow Island" for this reason. The islands are actually about 20 hours apart.
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(#3) A Small Ingalikmiut Eskimo Community Makes Up The Majority Of People Who Permanently Reside On The Island
According to the 2010 census, the town of Diomede has a population of approximately 110 people, though more recent sources suggest the population has dwindled as low as 80.
The Iñupiaq people indigenous to the Diomede Islands live on a subsistence diet primarily comprised of seal, walrus, polar bear, whale, and crab. In addition to being a primary source of food, hunting is also an important social rite. While some modern adjustments have been made, such as home electricity and a limited Wi-Fi connection, Diomede residents generally adhere to their traditional lifestyle: drying hides and living off the land. There is a push to preserve the Iñupiaq language, which is undocumented and only spoken by eight to ten elders.
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(#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."
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(#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.
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(#6) Troops On The Russian Border Constantly Monitor The People Living On Little Diomede
Even during (relative) peace between the United States and Russia, there is an undeniable air of tension hovering over the Bering Strait. Though the times of total hostility are bygone, the observation post at Big Diomede is still in operation, and the people of Little Diomede are well aware. While examining the outlook post on Big Diomede from his own personal telescope, tribal leader Robert Soolook reports:
It shouldn't be like this... We've been here for thousands of years, before the English came, the Americans, the Russians, before any governments and regulations separated us from our families. This border is breaking our hearts.
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(#7) Native Peoples On Big Diomede Were Moved To The Russian Mainland In Order To Build A Military Base
Before the Cold War, both Diomede Islands were populated by the same tribe of Iñupiaq people. The border existed for over a century before the formation of the Iron Curtain, when America bought the Alaskan territory from Russia in 1867. Even so, the people of Diomede were able to cross freely from one island to the other.
In 1948, the border was abruptly closed due to escalating tensions between the United States and Russia. The inhabitants of Big Diomede were forcibly relocated to Chukotka Okrug on the Russian mainland and the island was reconfigured into a military base.
Even with the conflict at an end, Big Diomede remains occupied by Russian forces, and many of the resettled residents of Diomede still remain in the eastern Siberian peninsula of Russia.
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(#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.
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(#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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(#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.
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(#11) Alcohol Is Prohibited
While alcohol overuse is not a major problem for the residents of Diomede, they are not taking any chances. In fact, alcohol is banned in the village.
In an effort to curb the public health issue, Diomede is a completely dry village. The importation and sale of alcohol are strictly forbidden on the island. Those who violate the alcohol ban are given a fine.
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(#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.
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(#13) There Is Limited Plant Life
The natural world of Diomede is sparse. Most of the island's land mass is made of large rocks of granite and quartz.
No trees or shrubs grow on the island, but there are a handful of grasses and plants that emerge during the summertime. Beach cabbage, potatoes, and seaweed are commonly harvested for food.
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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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