Everything about Robinson Crusoe Island totally explained
Robinson Crusoe Island, formerly known as
Más a Tierra (Closer to land), is the largest island of the
Chilean
Juan Fernández archipelago, situated 674 kilometres west of
South America in the South
Pacific Ocean. The
archipelago is made up of three islands, Robinson Crusoe, Alejandro Selkirk and the small
Santa Clara.
The island has a mountainous and undulating terrain, formed by ancient
lava flows which have built up due to numerous
volcanic episodes. The highest point on the island is 916 metres above sea level, achieved by
El Yunque. Intense
erosion has resulted in the formation of steep
valleys and
ridges. A narrow
peninsula is formed in the southwestern part of the island called
Cordon Escarpado. The
island of Santa Clara is 1.5 km from the coast off the southern part of the island. The western end of the island is lower and drier than the other parts. The climate
is distinctly Mediterranean, with clearly defined
warm, dry summers and cooler, wet winters.
It was here that the sailor
Alexander Selkirk was marooned in 1704 and lived in absolute solitude for four years and four months. The sailor inspired
Daniel Defoe to write the classic novel,
Robinson Crusoe. To reflect the literary lore associated with the island, the Chilean government named the location Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966.
It was at Más a Tierra that Admiral
Maximilian von Spee's cruiser squadron stopped and re-coaled between the 26th and 28th October, 1914, during
World War I. It was here too that the Admiral was unexpectedly rejoined by the armed merchant cruiser,
Prinz Eitel Friedrich, which he'd earlier detached to attack Allied shipping in Australian waters.
Since 1977, these islands,
World Biosphere Reserves, have been considered of maximum scientific importance because of the endemic species of
flora and
fauna (101 of the 146 native species of plants are
endemic). The red
hummingbird is most famous for its needle-fine black beak and silken feather coverage.
Robinson Crusoe has a population of only 500-600 inhabitants living in the village of
San Juan Bautista. Although the community maintains a rustic serenity dependent on the
spiny lobster trade, residents employ a few vehicles, a
satellite internet connection, and many television sets. There is an airstrip on the island (
source
), near the tip of the island's south-western peninsula. The flying-time from
Santiago de Chile is just under three hours (
source) and there's a ferry from the airstrip to San Juan Bautista.
Tourists, numbering in the hundreds per year, are still visiting. One activity gaining popularity is
scuba diving, particularly on the wreck of the German light cruiser
SMS Dresden, which was scuttled in Cumberland Bay during the
First World War.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Robinson Crusoe Island'.
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