untouched corners of the earth

2,123,562 square miles of dense jungle comprise the Amazon Rainforest Basin, which sprawl across parts of 9 separate nations, and whose estimated 390 billion trees provide plenty of coverage to get lost in. Fun fact Over half of the nutrients the soil of the Amazon needs to maintain its lush growth arrives each year as 50 tons of dust, blown over the Atlantic from the Sahara.

The most remote community in the contiguous United States, the 208 residents of Supai still send and receive their snail mail by mule.

One of the most remote towns in the already remote Greenland, Ittoqqortoormiit has a population of 452. Translating to Big House Dwellers in Eastern Greenlandic, the economy of Ittoqqortoormiit is still based on a long standing tradition of whale and polar bear hunting.

Located at the southernmost point of the world, the Amundsen Scott research station is stocked with between 50 and 200 researchers at any given time. And thats it. Seated on shifting ice at the Earths axis, the research base experiences one 6 month long day, where the temperatures can raise to 15 degrees, and one 6 month long night where the temperatures can drop to 100 degrees.

Possibly the most remote of Great Britains inhabited islands, Foula (or Bird Island as it translates from old Norse) seems to have been inhabited for over 5000 years, which is impressive given its current population is about 38 people. Its isolation meant that Foula was one of the last places in the world where the Norn language (a derivative of Old Norse) was actually spoken, well into the 19th century.

Though its claim to fame is being the largest community in all of Antarctica, thats not saying much. The cornerstone of the United States Antarctic Research Program, McMurdo serves as the last stop before the final push to the South Pole, and is home to 113 scientists and some support staff.

With its proximity to the North Pole, Oymyakon maintains a small population due to its status as one of the coldest inhabited places in the world. The ground is permanently frozen, which is particularly unusual considering it can get as warm as 81 degrees in the summer.

Formerly known as Spitzbergen, Svalbard stands as the halfway point between Norway and the North Pole. There are 5 types of terrestrial mammals that inhabit it Svalbard reindeer, polar bears, the arctic fox, the accidentally introduced southern vole, and humans. With a majority of its population a multi racial mix of researchers, coal miners, and those working in the tourism sector, Svalbard is considered one of the safest places on Earth, with next to no reported crime annually.

Though St. Kilda may have had a standing population of up to 180 residents for over 2000 years, it has had no permanent residents since 1930. To get an idea of how historically isolated St. Kilda has been, anecdotes say that islanders would communicate with the rest of the world one of two ways By climbing to the highest point on the island and lighting a bonfire, or by placing messages into tiny carved boats and sending them out to sea.

The singular most remote island in the world, the Norweigan Bouvet Island is completely uninhabited. The first successful mission to summit the highest point on the island took place just recently in 2012, and the team of four left behind a time capsule to be retrieved in 2062.