Introduction to the Geography of Small Islands

Abstract

This chapter introduces the phenomenon of islands as an object of geographical research. It focuses on the specialities and singularities of islands, opening up a field of tension between internal and external views and questioning existing stereotypes on vulnerability and romantic ascrip-tions to islands within this. Space is a significant factor of influence in terms of the mutual relationship between space and society, in the sense of analysing and assessing the significance of space for society and, in return, the significance of societal relations for the development of space. The development of islands is influenced by the spatial categories of isolation, distance/remoteness, size/smallness and insularity/islandness, as well as networking/connectedness, and not only within the context of ongoing globalisation. Keywords Island spatiality • Isolation • Remoteness • Smallness • Insularity • Connectedness • Vulnerability • Globalisation Much can be said about islands. Everyone has an idea, a supposition, an experience or a memory linked to islands. The phenomenon of islands opens up an almost limitless field of discovery and fiction together with plenty of opportunity for statements and guesses, legends and interpretations. Countless books and papers have been written about islands: there are novels set on islands, novels about islands and travelogues; there are island calendars with impressive photographs , films set on islands, atlases of remote islands, collections of island literature, island histories and just stories. Often, though, islands are a projection of prevalent dreams and fictitious desires rather than places of actual experience or knowledge. We are defined by the places we hold in the web of others' lives.