If we were told that it is possible to walk from Russia to the United States or that there is a place where we can see tomorrow, surely we would be suspicious. Although there are two islands that allow these and several other features. We invite you to learn about the incredible history of the Diomede Islands and discover why they are a key place when it comes to dreaming of a highway that connects the world. To know the history of the Diomede we have to go to the north of the Pacific Ocean, at the place where Asia and America get so close that they are only a few kilometers away. There we find the Big Diomede, to the west, which belongs to Russia. Only 3.7 kilometers to the east is Little Diomede, which belongs to the United States. The Russian island, called Imaqliq in the local Eskimo language, is 29 square kilometers. It belongs to the autonomous district of Chukotka, which is located in the extreme northeast of Russia. And it is currently uninhabited, for a reason that we will know. On the other side, the American island is also known as Inaliq, it has 7 square kilometers, it belongs to the state of Alaska and has about 115 inhabitants according to the last census. It is so isolated and in such an inhospitable and hostile place that the only way to get there is by helicopter. Being on the 65th parallel north, you can imagine that the weather is not at all benign. The low temperatures that are registered provoque that for several months in the year the water is totally frozen. This makes it possible to go from one island to the other by foot. That is, we can go from the United States to Russia by foot, which is not feasible nowhere else on the planet. This is possible in theory, because in practice it is illegal, since there are no customs at either location. Historically the islands were occupied by the same indigenous groups that lived on either side of the shore. However, everything began to change in 1867. Back then, the United States bought Alaska's entire territory from Russia. It was determined that the border between both nations would be just halfway from the Diomede Islands, in the Bering Strait. In this way, the peoples they inhabited remained one in each country. Back then it was not so relevant, although it would be later. Alaska had to adapt its calendar to the rest of the United States, reason why the international line of change of date was between both islands. To top it off, since Tsarist Russia had not yet adopted the Gregorian calendar, Alaska had to skip eleven days the date when it was acquired by the United States. Equally, it was not all that simple for the residents. Things changed quite a bit after World War II. With the start of the Cold War and the increase in tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, much was written about the Iron Curtain that was raised in Europe. But the so-called Ice Curtain that divided the Diomede for decades was somehow relegated. And in this case it was not about allied countries, it was a direct border between the two superpowers. The Soviets chose to reduce the risks and forced the villagers to leave. In this way, the families were divided and in many cases they could no longer see each other. This situation remained for decades. In the 80s, when the Cold War meltdown was taking place, there was one of the most famous crossings between the Diomede. American Lynne Cox swam across the two islands, in order to lower the tensions of the conflict. The heads of state of both countries, Mikhail Gorbachov and Ronald Reagan, celebrated the event. But one of the strangest questions is the one that marks the clock. As much as the solar time is the same, there are 21 hours of difference between both islands. That's why if on the American side it's 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, on the Russian side it is 7 in the morning on Wednesday. So if we stop at the Little Diomede and look west we can literally see tomorrow. On the other hand, the Diomede are in a location that gained more relevance at the geopolitical level. It is that due to the increase in global temperature, the entire Arctic region has more months in the year in which it can be navigable, so the flow of ships and commerce increased. But undoubtedly the great political stardom of the Diomede in our time occurred in 2008. Alaska Governor back then, Sarah Palin, was running for vice presidency in the formula with John McCain. Those who opposed her accused her of not having enough experience to get into office. In the Diomede, as we know, this is true, although Palin had never visited them. And when she tried to explain it ... well, it was not easy. For some reason in those elections Barack Obama ended up winning. The Diomede Islands also play a key role in an old fantasy of many people. Is it possible to build a highway that allows us to drive around the world? For example, could we start from Africa, travel through Europe, cross Asia and then go to all of America? Well, between Africa, Asia and Europe we can do it, since a bridge on the Suez Canal it allows us to cross overland. Between North and South America we should solve the Darien Gap, since there we cannot circulate by land. And then we would have to see how we got from Russia to America. For a long time it has been considered the possibility of building a bridge linking both territories. If we were to unite Cape Dezhnev in Russia with Cape Prince of Wales in the United States we should build an 82-kilometer bridge, which turns this idea into a fantasy. But with the Diomede the equation changes a lot. It is that thanks to their existence we can build a 37-kilometer bridge on the Russian side, another of 42 in the American and one of 3 between the two. As the depth is not as pronounced and reaches 55 meters it is believed that it would be possible its construction, although there would be a lot of issues to solve. For starters, due to the hostility of the area, you could only work in the warmer months. For seven months a year the works should stop, which would take a long time to build. In addition, the thaw causes huge icebergs to circulate during the spring, they would hit the bridge directly, so it would have to have a very resistant structure. If you go ahead with the idea of the bridge, it would be a good idea to also have a train and an oil pipeline running. In this way, the United States could directly access to Russian energy reserves, which is a great motivation. But let's suppose we solve the technical questions and connect the two points. We will find a bridge that goes, figuratively, from nothing to nothing. Let's see, on the Russian side we only have one road to Magadán. It is the Road of Bones, the same by which we can get to Oymyakón, the coldest city in the world. So another 2,000 kilometers would have to be built to reach the Bering Strait. On the American side there isn't a more comfortable situation. Just in Fairbanks we have a connection to continue to the rest of the continent, reason why it will be necessary to build until there about 850 kilometers. All this gigantic work of engineering would have a cost which is calculated at 150,000 million dollars. While it is true that a pipeline would give it an economic sense, it seems difficult to think that it is a viable project at present. It is that either by boat or by plane we will have cheaper or faster options depending on the case. This bridge could make the human being reconnect what was once united. It is that 25,000 years ago, in the last ice age, the level of the oceans dropped and this whole area was landmass. There is a certain consensus that migrations occurred there and the population of the American continent began. Does the construction of the bridge seem feasible to you? Would it be useful or could that money have better destinations? Leave your comment below. And if you got until here maybe it would be a good idea to propose yourself to become a member of Un Mundo Inmenso. With a monthly contribution you can support us to continue making more and better videos. and you can also access some exclusive content.
