No Sign of Life Trivia Quiz

Answer: Antarctica

Antarctica is perhaps the largest nonecumene space on the globe, mainly because it's not practical in the way of living conditions. Between harsh, foreboding winters and the break-up of ice near the coasts during warmer months, it would be foolish to build something even close to permanent, especially when outer-edge permafrost begins to falter.

There are a number of research stations peppering the landscape, however, some of which do contain a number of temporary scientists studying climate, geology, and the landmass as a whole.

The Amundsen-Scott Station, for instance, rests near the South Pole; during the winter it's virtually isolated from all other locations-- it's too unsafe to venture out.

Answer: Palmyra Atoll

One of the most isolated locations in the Pacific Ocean, the Palmyra Atoll sits on the Equator due south of Hawaii-- at one point it was claimed as part of the Kingdom of Hawaii (until that later became a U.S. state). The atoll is home to a rotating team of scientists studying the Pacific waters and little else.

While it was used as a base in World War II and temporarily built up at the time, it has since been taken back by nature and stands as a reserve for fish and migrating birds. The Palmyra Atoll is part of the Line Islands chain, many of which are part of Kiribati and many of which are officially unpopulated.

Answer: Iceland

While all of these countries contain large tracts of land, especially in the northern taiga regions, which do not contain permanent residents, only Iceland has the two glaciers listed: Vatnajökull and Langjökull. The highlands of Iceland contain a great number of beautiful landscapes dotted with glaciers, mountains, and waterfalls, but there's little else in between other than volcanic deserts devoid of plant growth. Most of Iceland's cities and towns are located on the coastline, moreso in the southwest, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any stop elsewhere.

In fact, during the winter months the center of the country is virtually inaccessible.

Answer: Galapagos Islands

Only five of the island group's 18 main islands have a resident human population. The Galapagos are a hotbed for endemic species and, after becoming a protected UNESCO Heritage Site, the Ecuadorian off-shore spot became a bit of an eco-tourist destination while maintaining its policy of minimal human interaction. Fernandina is a unique case in that people will not build on it, mainly because the island, now the third-largest in the Galapagos, is constantly expanding due to volcanic eruptions. Relatively unstable, the island is home to Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants, but not scientists, at least not permanently. Fernandina is one of the westernmost islands in the collection, just west of Isabella Island (the largest).

Answer: St. Kilda

St. Kilda is the westernmost island in the Outer Hebrides found off the northwest coast of Scotland in the North Atlantic. Once inhabited by a small village of people, the verdant spot has been virtually emptied out since at least the early 20th century. You'd barely know anyone was there-- all that remains are rudimentary stone buildings preserved by conservationists.

The place has since become a protected home for certain breeds of sheep, birds, and rodents. It is said that it was inhabited for millennia. No longer; it's simply too far from the rest of Scotland to maintain and it's prone to bad weather.

Answer: Inaccessible Island

While Tristan da Cunha is considered the most remote permanent settlement in the world (more than a thousand miles away from any other country), Inaccessible Island, a short distance southwest, is completely uninhabited (by humans) mainly because it's so darn hard to moor there. Due to steep cliffs all around the coastline, sailors can't really dock anywhere except a couple of small beaches, and even then, several ships have wrecked on their way in. First discovered in the 17th century, it's now UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the Inaccessible Island Rail, a small flightless bird who, for obvious reasons, can't leave. See...once you're in (if you can get in) you may never get out! Oh yeah, and you can't fly there-- since both Inaccessible Island and Tristan da Cunha are so small and remote, you'll have to take a boat.

Answer: Greenland

Almost all of Greenland's citizens live on the southernmost tip of the island; nearly a third of all residents live in the southwestern capital city of Nuuk. Why? Well, most of the island is covered by thick ice stretching as far north as the Arctic Ocean-- this includes the highest point in the Arctic.

Although climate change remains a major issue for the ice sheet here, it's so expansive that many haven't traversed it thus far (partly due to safety reasons and partly because there's nothing up there).

Much of the edges of the country are fjords.

Answer: Redonda

Discovered by Christopher Columbus during a trip through the Caribbean, Redonda, situated between the islands of Montserrat and Nevis, is a small island with no human inhabitants, mainly because it's next to impossible to set foot on it. The island is a former volcano and, despite erosion from the waters of the sea, the cliffs surrounding it are high and steep, so much so that there's nowhere to dock or swim up without climbing straight up a rock wall. Local stories have claimed that there's a fictional monarch living on the island.

Not sure how they'd live up there...maybe on seagulls?

Answer: Western Sahara

The Western Sahara, go figure, is a sandy place. This nation sits on the Atlantic Coast (and indeed most of its citizens live there as well) but little elsewhere. This is one of the least-densely populated countries on the planet because of its location; the Sahara to the east is so foreboding, dry, and hot that it's not only impractical, but near impossible to sustain oneself in the environment. Over 99% of the land is unusable for crops, so there's a reliance on fishing.

The desert continues east through Mauritania all the way over to Sudan and Egypt.

Much of it is uncharted, and with good reason.

Answer: Australia

While Australia does have a modest population, most of its citizens are found along the coastal cities where ports and sunshine are plentiful and arid landscapes are not. Although the Australian Outback is only a short drive from almost any given point on the continent, there's not much to see out there except for some mining towns, Uluru, and dusty, open roads.

The land is inhospitable for the average person; Aboriginals and bushmen do live out there, but the area is large enough to get lost in. Little rain, no services, and a lack of convenience make it notably unexplored despite Australia being a developed nation.