one topic i’ve yet to (but always wanted to) talk about in my research journal is tuvalu, and really the bigger idea of the southern pacific ocean. it is such an interesting place and subject overall and it is so dear to me for some odd reason… i am typically very drawn to places that nobody else has been– or maybe thinks of going to. a couple examples include (the pacific), remote areas of countries like russia, socotra island, and very specifically… the india / china border near arunachal pradesh area. just such a cool thing to think about… there are really so many places on earth that we aren’t taught or don’t realize exist to a certain extent.
i learned about tuvalu for the first time from one of my odd hobbies, which is just… exploring google earth. i would hit the surprise me button all the time, or i would just zoom in into wherever i thought interesting. from there, when i wanted to learn more, i found this article which really drew in with its gorgeous pictures. i found this around springtime of 2023.. and i really encourage you if you’re reading this to at least read the article, because it not only touches on the island’s natural beauty, but also its fleeting population & land size.
tuvalu is the 4th smallest country in the world, and the 3rd if you don’t count the vatican. you could also call it the least visited country, but of recent years that’s really changed 🤷♂️ especially probably because of yt videos about it with say… like 60m+ views. i think now that title goes to countries like nauru because there is truly not really anything there… its a shame because both of these countries are truly so beautiful!!! anyway… i like tuvalu more not necessarily for any particular reason, but more so because its what created my interest in countries like this. today i was inspired to make this post because one of my teachers… actually.. has the exact same interest! not necessarily in my favorite, but more so fiji and the proper samoa islands. my teacher worked in the peace corps in fiji for 3 years, and in samoa for… idk.. 6 months? which, as for me who so piqued by this, am just so in awe… i can only imagine what it was like to travel here say, 20 years ago, with no internet, phones, and for more remote areas say no running water, etc… compared to the growth of so many of these countries now. i think it is truly amazing and wish dearly to visit, but at the same time, fear for their future… what will become of these countries, in say, another 20 years? 50? tuvalu is already suffering from devastating land loss.
