Island overview
The Islands
"Isla Bonita" (Spanish for "beautiful island") can refer to either an archipelago in the middle of the [redacted] ocean or its largest, most populated island. Some of the mosts important island, by land size and population, are:
Isla Bonita
Isla Bonita itself boasts around 2 million people, with a large metropolitan area centered around Bahía Sur (South Bay), a large bay and excellent harbour, and the Valle Central (central valley), a highland plateau (≈250 m) that occupies the center of the island. There are also a few scattered towns along its coasts, easily reachable by train, car or ferry. The island's highest point is Mount East, on Costa Este, at 550 m.
Isla Enojada
Isla Enojada ("Angry Island") stands to the northeast or the archipelago and is dominated by Pico Enojado ("Angry Peak"), an active volcano standing over 2,000 meters tall. It's currently uninhabited.
Isla Providencia
Isla Providencia ("Providence Island") is a small island, currently divided between the municipalities of Pueblo Simón and its namesake Providencia. It holds about 50,000 people and is part of the South Bay metropolitan area. There are ferry and railway connections to the main island, in addition to a stop in Line 3 of the Anclaje & Interior Subway.
Isla Nehuentué
Nehuentué (mapudungun for "Place of Strength") is a small island occupied by the town of the same name, to the east of South Bay and part of its metropolitan area, reachable by ferry. It has about 4,300 inhabitants.
Isla Sur
The southernmost island in the archipelago, Isla Sur ("South Island") is separated from the rest of the island by South Strait. It has about 7,700 inhabitants in its sole settlement, Bahía Gemela ("Twin Bay"), which also part of the South Bay metropolitan area. It can be reach by ferry.
In addition to these islands, there's a number of smaller uninhabited, barrier and artificial islands.
Climate
Being located just above the tropics and surrounded by sea on all sides, Isla Bonita's climate can be described as Mediterranean, with dry, warm summers and slightly cool, wetter winters. That being said, the differences in altitude and location enable a variety of microclimates. Broadly speaking:
- Isla Enojada is the wettest part of the archipelago, thanks to the convection caused by its large mountain. The altitude also pushes the climate into a Subtropical highland or Oceanic climate, with abundant rain and cooler temperatures overall.
- The north of Isla Bonita stands directly in the rain shadow of Isla Enojada and boasts a semiarid climate.
- The western slopes of Isla Bonita see just enough rain during the summer to be classified as Humid Subtropical.
- The Central Valley is dry, with less maritime influence despite being still fairly close to the sea. The altitude makes it a degree or two cooler than the lowlands, but the thermal amplitude is much more noticeable, with even occasional frosts during the winter.
Flora and fauna
As a remote archipelago, Isla Bonita doesn't have a lot of fauna other than birds and a few invasive species. It is, however, a very well forested island, despite its relative aridity, with plenty of trees adapted to the long summers. Some of its forest coverage has been cut down in favor of intensive farming, especially in Isla Bonita itself, but it remains in pristine condition elsewhere in the archipelago.
Culture and politics
Isla Bonita was discovered by Arab traders led astray by a storm. While the Arabic influence has waned with the years, there is still a Muslim minority and a large Mosque in Anclaje, the main port. The majority of the island's population, especially in the central valley, has traditionally adhered to Christianity, although church attendance has been dropping fast. After a long rule by the Bonitos dynasty, the archipelago is –since the Light Blue Revolution– a parliamentary democracy, dominated by two large blocks: a centre-right bloc, representing the interests of conservative landholders and businesses, and a left-wing coalition of immigrants and the working class. This dichotomy is reflected in the island's geography, as we'll see in the next chapters.
As a place that has been recently discovered and has seen a large influx of immigrants, Isla Bonita's culture can be best described as "eclectic". The old Monarchy encouraged European-style architecture and immigration, while the democratic governments have been more ambivalent and welcoming of other influences and peoples. The lingua franca of the islands is Spanish, but English has been encroaching for some time and is understood by most of the population.
Join us next time, when we'll discuss transportation tips for traveling to the islands!
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