George C. Yangakis
Island Specialist

This work is not only intended for specialists. Its primary aim is to inform

the general public, those who are particularly interested in certain islands or one particular island and finally those scientists who wish to study more thoroughly the phenomenon of islands as well as their problems.

Although the term “nesiography” (“insularography”) has been in use at least in the Greek language for many centuries, the term “insularology” or “nesiology” has appeared in the last few decades as a result of the amazing increase of knowledge throughout the world. This has caused the inevitable fragmentation of sciences and the gradual realization of the peculiarity of islands by the scientific community.

Many may wonder, “Is this science necessary?”.

Each island is a microcosm whose limits are clearly set by water. At the same time each island is compared with the immensity of the mainland and has its peculiarities which have their source in the island’s self – reliance, its very self -existence. On the other hand its continuous surrounding by the incalculable and unmanageable water creates a large number of problems which although nowadays can theoretically be coped with – due to the great progress of technology – yet in reality and in most cases they are either insoivable or, to put it mildly, difficult to solve. (This is mostly true for smaller islands). These problems (e.g. limited land area, natural resources and skilled manpower as well as high per capital costs, etc.) are multiplied when archipelagos or groups of islands are considered.

Today this fundamental peculiarity is no more doubted and has been called by the author “insular isolation’. This is the main factor of the disadvantage due to nature which in its turn is an indispensable element of the everyday island life. Yet on the other hand the element of natural isolation and self-reliance and the remoteness have greatly contributed to the development of original civilizations which could be called “insular micro-civilizations”, and to the preservation of rare – and sometimes unique – species of flora and fauna as well as to the preservation of special cultural identities Finally the hundreds of thousands of islands all over the world – or to be more precise of insular formations – and the complexity of the relations and phenomena that appear there make necessary – apart from other individual analyses -the interdisciplinary study of the large, small and tiniest islands.

Briefly and as a first approach we call “nesiology / insularology” the scientific description and study of islands. In 1987 the late rear-admiral (of the Financial Corps of the Greek Navy) and scholar Demetrios Yakoumakis considered “nesiology” as «a moderm, compound science which examines the problems and the possibilities of the islands within a wide scientific context (economic, legal, environmental and geophysical)».

The well – known poet, prose-writer and critic Demosthenes Zades, honorary President of the Literary Society of Greece, wrote amidst other things, in 1989, “there are so many differences (morphology of the ground, climate, production, needs, cultural difference, folklore etc) in the life and the evolution of any form of life on the islands from the inland and coastal districts of our country that there must be a discipline of nesiology”. Summing up it could be said that nesiology deals with the systematic examination of sea, lake and river islands and in this examination the interdisciplinary consideration as well as the study of the islands’ scientific and cultural potential is included.

Interdisciplinary consideration (which also comprises the corresponding to each island sea zones, sea bed and subsoil) is difficult because it requires a wide range of knowledge and long-time observation and study (that is why it is often unachievable or at best it is in part only possible to be done by one person for the large islands). This consideration is however an imperative necessity for the small islands e.g those which are smaller than lsq km in area, especially when these islands (inhabited or not) have no archaeological or other man made monuments because only thus we have a complete knowledge of their value or of their insignificance An island, even a tiny one, is not a geographical concept only. It is also a microcosm and a legal entity. We must not depreciate the importance (strategic, economic, biological etc.) ofdie uninhabited islets.

On the other hand the richness and / or variety of die fauna and flora are very impressive on a lot of islands. It can be indicated diat on the isle of Cythera a 230 species of birds have been recorded (29 from them being resident species of Uiis island) and on diat of Chios there are 211 bird species (18 from them being resident species). The flora of Cyprus consists of about 1.800 species – 128 from diem grow only on this island and nowhere else in die world. In the tiny group of islands of Strophades (2 sq. km. total area), in Soudiwest Greece, there are 250 species of plants and during migration period 80 species of birds have been recorded Likewise, of some 380 species of wild birds recorded in Ireland 135 breed in the country and in the lakes of die Faroe Islands about 600 different microscopic algae have been recorded

There are millions of animal species on earth (the overwhelming majority of which belongs to a heterogeneous group of organisms called invertebrates c.g insects, snails, worms, corals etc.). Many of these species live only on one island or only in one part of an island and they are often small in number and consequently vulnerable. Therefore these places are highly suitable to be protected and studied with a view to using the relevant conclusions in a variety of ways.

The wide spectrum of the cognitive object of this science has as a result the further creation of specializations. Firstly, we can divide this science into general and specific: i.e. a study of larger insular areas (e.g. the Caribbean), of archipelagos (e.g. the Cyclades) or of groups of islands (e.g. the Paxi group of islands), or of a couple of islands (e.g. Savaii and Upolu in Western Samoa, Chios and Lesvos) and finally a study of a single island or even of a part of an island (e.g. Naxos highlands). From another point of view nesiology/insularology can fall into two different branches i.e. theoretical and applied.

Moreover it must be emphasized the contribution of comparative nesiology to the deeper knowledge and study of the pluralism and originality of islands. It is also useful to mention the following categories:

1. Natural nesiology: branch which deals with the study of the morphology (present or past) of the surface of islands and their climate.
2. Human nesiology. branch which deals with the study of insular events caused by human activities.
3. Economic nesiology: branch which deals with the study of the insular resources of the soil, of the subsoil, of the surrounding sea and its bottom as well as with dieir production, their distribution and their consumption.