Why people live on Tristan da Cunha, the most remote island

Transcript

If you look in the middle of nowhere and zoom in closer, you'll find Tristan D'Acunia. Just over 200 people live there, and their nearest neighbors are almost 2.5-thousand kilometers away. That means they're alone in an area almost twice the size of Europe. So how did people even end up here? Well, it all started with Napoleon. In 1815, Napoleon lost the Battle of Waterloo and the British exiled him to St. Helena. The following year, they stationed at Garrison on Tristan D'Acunia, fearing that his supporters might use the island as a base to rescue him. About a year later, the British pulled their troops out, but a few people decided to stay. A Scottish corporal, his wife, their two children, and two stone masons. Over time, the couple had more children, and a few sailors joined the community. But there was one problem. Five bachelors and just one married woman. So the men approached the captain of a passing merchant ship. Captain, you see, it's mostly men here, so could you? Oh, sure. I could stay for a few nights. What? I meant bring us some women. And the captain did. He sailed to St. Helena, found five women willing to move, and brought them to Tristan D'Acunia. According to legend, he received a sack of potatoes for each woman. From that point on, the population began to grow, and a few more sailors and shipwreck survivors joined the community. Today, 97% of islanders have one of just seven surnames, and their families have been intermarrying for generations. So let's just not give them any dragons.

Transcribed automatically from the video, so small errors are possible.