Islandness of Bermuda and Pitcairn Island

This Storymap aims to discuss the imbalances of Bermuda and the Pitcairn Islands in terms of their vulnerability and marginalisation to global changes, resilience and adaptability to external pressure, and their isolation and remoteness to describe how open and connected they are. Global changes are environmentally unfriendly scenarios affecting the world today and require urgent attention. Both islanders and non-islanders are affected by the impacts of this global change. Small islands like the Pitcairn Islands are at more significant risk due to their smaller sizes and accessibility. Despite this shortcoming, some islands are self-sufficient and sustaining, contributing to their resilience against all forms of pressure. In addition, islands can be geographically, economically, and culturally isolated and remote while simultaneously open and connected to the world around them.

Today’s islands often capitalize on their apparent remoteness in time and space to become popular destinations (Gillis, 2007).

With the presence of an airport, you can fly to and from six interesting destinations (New York City, Charlotte, Miami, Atlanta, Toronto and London) by air.

The Bermuda Triangle connects Bermuda with Miami and Puerto Rico.

• Bermuda registered fifty-one thousand inbound tourist arrivals in 2020, of which nine thousand corresponded to cruise passengers

• Residents of Pitcairn claim that they are not so isolated since technological advances, such as the phone and internet, reached their island in 2006.
• Despite its remoteness, the total number of visitors on Pitcairn Island from 2009 to 2012 was 870.

Non-islanders may see these islands as remote in closed systems, surrounded by water. On the contrary, islanders perceive it to be central, open and connected as long as they perform their daily activities without depending on external assistance. The Islandsness of Bermuda and Pitcairn Islands is, however, subjective. Therefore, it is essential to note that positionality and context are important factors when discussing islands.