Robinson Crusoe Island (Spanish: Isla Robinsón Crusoe), 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. It was here that the sailor Alexander Selkirk was marooned in 1705 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. 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. 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.
References
- Selcraig, B. (July 2005). "The Real Robinson Crusoe". Smithsonian, p.82-90.
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