The virtues of insularity: Pondering a new chapter in the historical geography of islands

Abstract

We may be on the cusp of a renaissance in small island living.The slow but steady decline that characterised much of the industrial age seems to have been halted in some islands and in some countries -including Ireland and Croatia -and even reversed in some places (the Aran Islands). Using a broad sweep this exploratory article explains the broad historical phenomenon of small island youth outmigration, population decline or resettlement; and how this is being replaced with a newfound value in 'splendid isolation' that, however, boasts elements of connectivity (including access to the World Wide Web).

Islanders’ Heterogenous Temporalities

“…If that was true for the 16 th century Mediterranean, it is not surprising that it is even more true today. Braudel's opinion reverberates in a recent article by two renown nissologists, Godfrey Baldacchino and Nenad Starc (2021). The authors argue that island isolation "has undergone an interesting volte face in recent decades" (ibid.…”

Ilhas Marítimas Brasileiras: Lacunas De Geoinformação E a Importância Para a Gestão Territorial

“…Na perspectiva da nissologia, Baldacchino (2004) introduz o conceito de insularidade ("Islandness", em inglês), que pode ser concebido como um padrão distinto de desenvolvimento espacial, que reflete um modo de percepção singular, característico do território insular. Para o autor, a insularidade dialoga com questões relacionadas a aspectos fronteiriços, dimensionais, de fragmentação e isolamento, que tendem a reproduzir uma percepção de identidade e pertencimento por parte dos ilhéus (BALDACCHINO & STARC, 2021).…”