How far apart are Big Diomede and Little Diomede in the Bering Strait?
Big Diomede sits 2.4 kilometers from Little Diomide in the Bering Strait, yet they exist on different days.
Questions about Diomede Islands
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Danish navigator Vitus Bering sight the islands now called Diomede Islands?
Danish navigator Vitus Bering sighted these rocky islands on August 16th according to the old calendar used by Russia at that time. Modern calendars mark this discovery as the 27th of August 1728.
Why does a military base operate on Big Diomede today?
The Soviet government established a military base on Big Diomede in 1948 and subsequently relocated all indigenous people to mainland Russia. Today only military units inhabit Big Diomede, leaving it empty of civilian residents.
What is the population count for Little Diomede during the 2010 census?
By the 2010 census, that number had declined to 115 individuals living entirely within the village site called Diomede.
Who swam between the two Diomede Islands in 1987 during Cold War tensions?
Lynne Cox swam from one island to the other in 1987, bridging the gap during the height of Cold War tensions.