ABSTRACT
Human existence on islands in the middle of an ocean is, by nature of their remoteness, often comparatively small size with consequently few lifestyle options, and more vulnerable to change than in many other places. The combination of small size and remoteness means that humans on such islands may occasionally have their trajectories of social and cultural development disrupted profoundly. Islands are scattered throughout the world’s oceans, most in the largest, most in the tropics. Larger islands, often continental in origin and affinities, lie close to the modern coast of many continents and include Madagascar, New Caledonia and Svalbard, and many of those in Japan and Indonesia. While smaller islands exist in most parts of the world’s oceans, those that are most commonly discussed as examples of vulnerable locations are those that are also remote. Smallness and remoteness make terrestrial life vulnerable.
