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Tsunami · 24 May 2013, 03:52 AM

I wonder what's the slowest post delivery on earth. I cannot say I know all data, but reading a lot of travel guides and watching lot of travel documentaries learnt me a few things:

- Pitcairn Islands: the smallest democracy in the world, with just about 50 residents. A UK overseas territory with a certain autonomy (half of the adults on the island are in government, logically). The island has no airport and the nearest mainland is a boat trip of 2 or 3 days away. Post delivery can take as long as half a year or at least several months. That said, Pitcairn stamps seem to be extremely wanted by stamp collectors as they are such a rarity.

- Alert CFS, Canada. On top of Ellesmere Island, the northernmost outpost in the world has 5 permanent residents and some scientists who stay there usually half a year or a year before going back home. Average postal delivery time: 6 months.

- The USA owns a research station on the very south pole. The station is staffed by a 14 or 15 scientists during the long Antarctic winter, and slightly more short staying staff during the short Antarctic summer. With temperatures dropping to about -80 in winter plus polar winds make it feel like it's below -100, and with the nearest other station too far away to make the flights during the stormy winters, the base is cut off from the rest of the world for several months a year; sometimes even half a year. Obviously, postal delivery is out of question during these months, and from the last article I read on this fascinating place, there is no internet connection neither. So during antarctic winter, those 14 or 15 scientists are totally on their own.

China is now building "Dome A", a research station further from the actual pole but on top of the highest plateau of Antarctica. Combine -80 degrees with a latitude of over 4000 m high, and it gets so cold they don't even dare to send staff there during winter. I can imagine the moment someone dares to stay during winter, he won't receive any mail neither.

- Tristan da Cunha island: remotest populated island in the world, takes 7 days boat travel to get there. Postal delays can be several months, sometimes more. The UK (of whom the island is a colony) did award the island a UK zipcode so that the islanders can order from ebay.co.uk ; their delivery could be on their way half a year though and internet connection in a place so remote is so expensive anything longer than 10 minutes online could swallow a fair portion of your monthly income.

24 May 2013, 03:52 AM	#23
Tsunami The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: in between the bright lights and the far unlit unknown Posts: 2,341	I wonder what's the slowest post delivery on earth. I cannot say I know all data, but reading a lot of travel guides and watching lot of travel documentaries learnt me a few things: - Pitcairn Islands: the smallest democracy in the world, with just about 50 residents. A UK overseas territory with a certain autonomy (half of the adults on the island are in government, logically). The island has no airport and the nearest mainland is a boat trip of 2 or 3 days away. Post delivery can take as long as half a year or at least several months. That said, Pitcairn stamps seem to be extremely wanted by stamp collectors as they are such a rarity. - Alert CFS, Canada. On top of Ellesmere Island, the northernmost outpost in the world has 5 permanent residents and some scientists who stay there usually half a year or a year before going back home. Average postal delivery time: 6 months. - The USA owns a research station on the very south pole. The station is staffed by a 14 or 15 scientists during the long Antarctic winter, and slightly more short staying staff during the short Antarctic summer. With temperatures dropping to about -80 in winter plus polar winds make it feel like it's below -100, and with the nearest other station too far away to make the flights during the stormy winters, the base is cut off from the rest of the world for several months a year; sometimes even half a year. Obviously, postal delivery is out of question during these months, and from the last article I read on this fascinating place, there is no internet connection neither. So during antarctic winter, those 14 or 15 scientists are totally on their own. China is now building "Dome A", a research station further from the actual pole but on top of the highest plateau of Antarctica. Combine -80 degrees with a latitude of over 4000 m high, and it gets so cold they don't even dare to send staff there during winter. I can imagine the moment someone dares to stay during winter, he won't receive any mail neither. - Tristan da Cunha island: remotest populated island in the world, takes 7 days boat travel to get there. Postal delays can be several months, sometimes more. The UK (of whom the island is a colony) did award the island a UK zipcode so that the islanders can order from ebay.co.uk ; their delivery could be on their way half a year though and internet connection in a place so remote is so expensive anything longer than 10 minutes online could swallow a fair portion of your monthly income.