Where we are in the world
The Diomede Islands are located in the middle of the Bering Strait, which is the 53 mile stretch of land that separates North America (Alaska) from Asia (Russia/Siberia). There are two separate islands – Big Diomede (Russia) and Little Diomede (US) – which are separated by about 2 miles. Geographically, this is the closest that Russia and the US get to each other.
And yes, you ACTUALLY can see Russia from your house when on the American island of Little Diomede!
For other maps on islands, see posts on the Kuril Islands and St Pierre and Miquelon!
See the interactive Google Map at the bottom of the post!
Three key facts about this map
Despite being 2 miles apart, Big Diomede Island is 21 hours ahead of Little Diomede Island
The international date line crosses between the two islands – that means when you stand on the American island of Little Diomede, you are looking 21 hours into the future! The two islands received the nicknames of the “Tomorrow” and “Yesterday” islands due to their positioning on either side of the international date line.
In the winter, there is often an ice bridge that forms between the two islands
Temperatures in winter average between 6 and 10°F in the area around the Diomede Islands. Sometimes chunks of ice floating through the Bering Strait clog the 2-mile distance between the island creating an “ice bridge”. Theoretically, a person would be able to walk from the US to Russia; however, this would be very dangerous and technically illegal.
Travelling between the islands was common until 1948 when the Soviet military began enforcing strict border control
The Native population of the Diomede Islands would frequently travel between the two – there were communities and families that lived on both islands. This came to an abrupt halt during the Cold War when the Soviet military decided to enforce border controls in 1948.
The Soviets forced the population of Big Diomede to relocate to mainland Siberia leaving the big island uninhabited. This action split families and communities that typically lived across the border apart. As of 2015, all of the 80 residents of the American little islands have relations somewhere in Russia.
Additional links and sources
Have you ever been to Northern Alaska or heard of the Diomedes before?
See other places around the world Globe Charting has featured!
Including another post in Alaska: the Alaska Marine Highway System!
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