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Ghost Dolls and Swimming Pigs: The Strangest Islands in the World

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Some remote islands are almost a world unto themselves, thus it is not surprising that they are home to such unusual forms of life, with flora and fauna that could not exist anywhere else on Earth. Take a look at the world's most mysterious islands in the following photo gallery.

According to statistics, one out of every ten people in the world lives on an island. However, not all islands are the same, and some of them are not even suitable for living; others literally give us the shivers.

© AFP 2023 / Khaled FazaaYemenis and foreign tourists gather to admire an example of the Dragon Blood tree on the virtually untouched Yemeni Island of Socotra, a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation, located in the northwestern Indian Ocean, some 350km south of the Arabian Peninsula, on March 27, 2008. Socotra is the main island of an archipelago of the same name, sometimes referred to as "the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean." The island is historically famous for its unique and spectacular vegetation -- botanists rank the flora of Socotra among the ten most endangered groups of island flora in the world -- and now the opening of an airport in 1999 and other infrastructure developments are turning Socotra into a possible off-beat eco-tourist destination. The Dragon Blood tree is unique to the island.
Socotra Island, Yemen - Sputnik International
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Yemenis and foreign tourists gather to admire an example of the Dragon Blood tree on the virtually untouched Yemeni Island of Socotra, a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation, located in the northwestern Indian Ocean, some 350km south of the Arabian Peninsula, on March 27, 2008. Socotra is the main island of an archipelago of the same name, sometimes referred to as "the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean." The island is historically famous for its unique and spectacular vegetation -- botanists rank the flora of Socotra among the ten most endangered groups of island flora in the world -- and now the opening of an airport in 1999 and other infrastructure developments are turning Socotra into a possible off-beat eco-tourist destination. The Dragon Blood tree is unique to the island.
CC BY 2.0 / Merec0 / Okunoshima Island, Japan
Okunoshima Island, Japan - Sputnik International
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Okunoshima Island, Japan
© AFP 2023 / Josh EdelsonAlcatraz is seen near San Francisco, California on October 9, 2015.
Alcatraz Island, located in San Francisco Bay - Sputnik International
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Alcatraz is seen near San Francisco, California on October 9, 2015.
© AFP 2023 / Miwa SuzukiTO GO WITH "Lifestyle-Japan-Animal-Cat" by Miwa Suzuki
Kazuko Hatakeyama feeds some 20 cats at her residence at Tashiro island in Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan on November 1, 2008. The fishing village of Tashiro, known locally as Cat Island, has shunned dogs for centuries in the belief that cats invite a big catch. The island's 100 residents, whose average age is well over 70, are hoping that cats will become a drawcard in a campaign to attract tourists and, hopefully, people who want to settle down here.
Tashiro Island, Japan - Sputnik International
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TO GO WITH "Lifestyle-Japan-Animal-Cat" by Miwa Suzuki
Kazuko Hatakeyama feeds some 20 cats at her residence at Tashiro island in Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan on November 1, 2008. The fishing village of Tashiro, known locally as Cat Island, has shunned dogs for centuries in the belief that cats invite a big catch. The island's 100 residents, whose average age is well over 70, are hoping that cats will become a drawcard in a campaign to attract tourists and, hopefully, people who want to settle down here.
© AFP 2023 / Mehdi FedouachA picture taken on May 3, 2017 shows Fort Boyard, off the western coast of France, near La Rochelle
The fort is the filming location for the TV gameshow "Fort Boyard". The show, launched in 1990 in France and bought by almost forty countries, made the fort, located between the island of Oleron and the island of Aix, a famous monument. All year round, sea trips take thousands of people to admire the austere silhouette of the building, accessible only by boat or helicopter.
Fort Boyard, off the western coast of France - Sputnik International
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A picture taken on May 3, 2017 shows Fort Boyard, off the western coast of France, near La Rochelle
The fort is the filming location for the TV gameshow "Fort Boyard". The show, launched in 1990 in France and bought by almost forty countries, made the fort, located between the island of Oleron and the island of Aix, a famous monument. All year round, sea trips take thousands of people to admire the austere silhouette of the building, accessible only by boat or helicopter.
CC BY 2.0 / FlyingCrimsonPig / Isla de las MuñecasThe Island of the Dolls, Mexico
The Island of the Dolls, Mexico - Sputnik International
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The Island of the Dolls, Mexico
CC BY 2.0 / Kai Lehmann / The Bahama pig (Exuma)The Bahamas' remote Exuma islands are home to swimming pigs
Bahamas' Exuma Islands Occupied by Swimming Pigs - Sputnik International
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The Bahamas' remote Exuma islands are home to swimming pigs
CC BY 2.0 / Tjabeljan / SenegalJoal-Fadiouth051Fadiouth Island made of clam shells, Senegal
Fadiouth Island made of clam shells, Senegal - Sputnik International
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Fadiouth Island made of clam shells, Senegal
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