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The Island
From Lostpedia
- For the smaller island off the coast of the Island, see Hydra Island.
- For specific locations on the Island, see Locations.
The Island is the principal location for the events of Lost. The Island is treated as if it is a character, with its own desires and designs of its own. The Island displays unusual "powers" that can apparently function beyond its geographical territory, into the outside world. The Island is notoriously difficult to find and can apparently "move" by an unknown method. The Island appears to have been in the South Pacific for at least a portion of its history, but due to it being moved, its current whereabouts are unknown.
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Location
The exact location of the Island is a mystery. The pilot said the plane had lost radio contact before the crash and had changed course towards Fiji. He estimated they were 1000 miles off course by the time they crashed. ("Pilot, Part 1"). Desmond believed the Island was one week East of Fiji, traveling at 9 knots. ("Live Together, Die Alone") This fits with Rousseau's statement that she was three days out of Tahiti when she wrecked on the Island. ("Solitary")
The Oceanic Six were rescued by Penelope's boat Searcher, from which they sailed to the Island of Sumba to stage their reappearance to the world. ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3") This places the Island's original location, at least within the established timeline of the show, to be within the South Pacific.
Moving the Island
Ben turned the frozen wheel located in a secret chamber underneath the Orchid station, which apparently caused the Island to move. Soon after the wheel was turned, a loud noise and bright lights were experienced throughout the local area, both on and off the Island.
It is worth noting that the events and sounds that resulted from the turning of the wheel were identical to those from the Discharge. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
This disturbance happened immediately before the Island disappeared from the ocean. The Island, along with its smaller companion island, vanished from the space they occupied, leaving a vacuum in the ocean that was quickly filled-in by seawater. ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3")
At this time, it is unclear if the Island moved in space and/or time. Ben promised Charles Widmore he would "never find it"; however, Locke was somehow able to leave the Island and contact the Oceanic Six in an attempt to convince them to return. ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3")
History
Early history
Little is known of the early history of the Island. There are the remains of a four-toed statue and other ruins that suggest a significant culture being present on the Island at some undetermined point in the past. ("Live Together, Die Alone") ("Stranger in a Strange Land") Hieroglyphs are engraved in several places around the Island, such as the frozen wheel room and Ben's secret door under his home at the barracks. ("The Shape of Things to Come") ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3")
The first known visitors to the Island are the sailors of the Black Rock. They arrived on the Island between 1845, when she left Portsmouth, England, and 1852, when her ledger was found among the artifacts of pirates. ("The Constant") The crew consisted of Magnus Hanso, 40 crew-members, and an unknown number of chained individuals, possibly slaves or convicts. The blast door map says that the remains of the ship's owner, Magnus Hanso, are somewhere on the Island.
The remains of two people known as Adam and Eve were found in a cave. Jack's time-of-death estimate placed them at some point in the 1950s or 1960s; however, the producers have hinted that the presence of Adam and Eve is related to the time-traveling aspect of the show.
DHARMA Initiative
A large new period of human activity began in the early 1970s under the leadership of the DHARMA Initiative. Construction projects occurred across the Island, including a series of isolated science stations. They also built along with a community-style living facility known as (the Barracks). tunnels were dug, along with a limited number of road projects. The Island was also equipped with a communications network.
Richard Alpert and a group of people, possibly natives, was present at least during this time, if not before. Ben aided them in what would become known as The Purge. This resulted in the deaths of nearly all members of the DHARMA Initiative. The Purge occurred on the December 19th, 1992, Ben's birthday. Ben became the leader of Richard and his people; this group is now what we know as the Others.
Island castaways
A French science team, attracted by radio signals from the Island, arrived around 1988. While several members of the team survived the shipwreck, only Danielle Rousseau survived a mysterious sickness, taking up residence on the Island for more than 16 years until she was killed in December 2004.
Henry Gale's balloon crashed on the Island sometime around July, 2004. It is unknown if Henry Gale survived the crash.
A drug smugglers' plane crashed on the Island sometime between the late 1980s and early 2000s. There were no survivors.
On September 22, 2004, Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on the Island during an electromagnetic event precipitated by Desmond Hume's failure to push the button in the Swan station on the Island. At least 70 passengers survived the crash.
On December 17, 2004, Naomi Dorrit parachuted onto the Island after her helicopter went down. A few days later, the Kahana's science team and mercenary team came to the Island. Naomi and the mercenaries were eventually killed. The three-member science team remained stranded on the Island after the Kahana exploded. ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3")
Flora and fauna
Among the Island's vegetation are fruit-bearing mango, papaya, and guava plants. There are also bananas, passion fruit, coconuts and some star fruit. ("Hearts and Minds")
Native animals encountered by the survivors include wild chicken, bees, tree frogs, and spiders. From the sea, various types of fish, shellfish, and sea urchin have been found. The Island is also in the path of tagged migratory seagulls. The Island has a number of animal species not native to the South Seas, including boars, Mikhail's cat Nadia, and a domesticated dove. The Others also kept cattle at the Flame, and at least two horses have been seen: one ridden by Bea Klugh, and a mysterious black horse seen by Kate and Sawyer.
The DHARMA Initiative brought certain non-native animals, such as polar bears, sharks, and dolphins, to Hydra Island and modified them to an unknown degree. During the Purge, the polar bears escaped and made their way to the main island.
Geography
The size of the Island has not yet been determined. Its diameter has been shown to be a several-days' walk, as demonstrated by the Tailies traveling to join the midsection survivors, by Kate and Sawyer's return from the Hydra Island, and by Kate, Locke, Sayid and Rousseau's journey to The Flame and then to the Barracks. ("The Other 48 Days") ("I Do") With the revelation of Hydra Island, it is likely that none of the survivors have entirely circumnavigated the Island. According to the scale of Danielle Rousseau's maps, it is 24.0 kilometers (14.91 miles) long along one side.
The Island has many different geographical zones. There is a very distinctive coastline comprised mostly of beach sand. Some of the beach is rocky and hard to navigate, such as the cove where Kelvin kept the Elizabeth. ("Live Together, Die Alone") There also appears to be steep cliff faces that drop off into the sea, such as where Dave is seen jumping away from Hurley. ("Dave")
Jungle and forest seem to make up most of the interior of the Island. Although they run together, there are distinct differences between them: the forest appears to be more sparse, with smaller trees; while the jungle appears to be more dense, with more hanging vines over-head.
In the hills by the golf course is a plateau called the Mesa where Hurley's golf course is located. Hurley rode the DHARMA van on the Mesa. ("Enter 77") The caves are also located near the Mesa. There is also a cliff next to some mountains that can be seen when Sayid, Charlie, and Ana Lucia were searching for Henry Gale's balloon. ("The Whole Truth"). Also, Jack was rescued by Locke from falling off a cliff. ("White Rabbit")
There are mountains throughout the Island, including at least one volcano in the South. There are two main ridges, both stretching from North to South. The valley between the mountain ridges contains rivers, streams, and waterfalls.
Open fields are common on the Island, such as where Shannon translated the distress signal and where Hurley and Charlie drove the DHARMA van. ("Pilot, Part 1") ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead") They seem to be mostly on hill-sides and on the Mesa. The Pascal Flats are shown on Ben's map. ("Through the Looking Glass"). Not much is known of this area other than it is South of the barracks and the Pearl, and South West of the radio tower.
Volcanic activity
There is at least one volcano on the Island. Olivia mentions to her class how the Island had volcanic reactions occurring "a long time ago", suggesting it was dormant or extinct. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
There are several clues to the Island being volcanic. The general topography of the Island is typical of a volcanic island, such as the apparent lava-formed coastlines.
The word "crater" is seen on Rousseau's map and the Barracks appear to sit in a crater-like formation, possibly a caldera or volcanic crater. ("A Tale of Two Cities")
The powdery substance surrounding Jacob's cabin looked similar to volcanic ash.
The sign Bernard was making ("S.O.S.") consisted of volcanic rocks.
Before the move executed by Ben, the Island was located in the South Pacific in an area falling along the "Ring of Fire," so named because of a high frequency of seismic and volcanic occurrences.
Jack and Sayid surmised that the Swan's power source was geothermal. While volcanic activity is not required for geothermal power, it makes the process much easier.
On the DVD commentary track for "The Man Behind the Curtain", Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse point out an Easter egg when Olivia demonstrates the volcano model in her classroom. The producers stated that the volcano on the Island will be "less important than Annie but still seismic"
Mysterious properties
Aside from the unusual history, population, and locations, the Island also exhibits some unusual properties of its own.
Healing and life-extension properties
The Island, or some unknown force or thing on the Island, appears to have healing powers that cure at least some inhabitants of long-term ailments, expedite recovery from mild to moderate wounds, and extend lifespans. Some of the more dramatic examples of this healing power are Locke's healed legs, Rose's cured cancer, and Richard Alpert's unusual appearance given his assumed age. ("Walkabout") ("S.O.S.") ("Cabin Fever")
Navigational difficulties
Various anomalous phenomena exist around the Island that complicate the ability to navigate around and away from the Island. The DHARMA Initiative placed a sonar beacon just off the coast of the Island, which was used to guide submarines.
The unique magnetic properties of the Island were first encountered by the survivors when Sayid's examination of Locke's compass showed a significant local deviation in bearings.
Locating and traveling to the Island is difficult due to an unknown phenomenon that apparently causes travelers to experience a time dilation. This has been demonstrated by Daniel's experiment, the Helicopter's lost time, and the events surrounding Ray's death. Possibly this distortion is variable in nature as no such distortion appeared to take place on Sayid's journey to the Island via the Zodiac. ("The Economist") ("The Constant") ("Cabin Fever")
When traveling to the Island, one must stay on a particular compass bearing, else they travel in circles and/or experience unsettling effects. Desmond's attempt to leave the Island by sailing due west was futile, as he ended up sailing in circles and back to the Island. Upon learning of the survivors' possession of a sailboat, Juliet showed knowledge of the difficulty of leaving, commenting that, "Sailing in circles will keep them busy".
Following instructions from Ben to follow a bearing of 325 from the Pala Ferry pier, Michael and Walt successfully left the Island. ("Live Together, Die Alone") ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1") Daniel Faraday recognized the importance of following a single bearing to leave the Island, giving strict instructions to Frank Lapidus not to deviate from a heading of 305 degrees or risk "side effects", ("The Economist") ("The Constant") Sayid and Desmond knew to follow Daniel's instruction when returning to the Island from the Kahana. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1") ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3")
It is theorized by Captain Gault that the Kahana's proximity to the unusual time differential effect around the Island was causing irrational behavior, including suicide, on the part of his crew. He likened this effect to a heightened case of "cabin fever". ("Ji Yeon") ("Cabin Fever")
The unusual behavior of ocean currents and tides may play a role in navigational difficulties. Michael and Sawyer were carried back to the Island on pieces of the raft after it was destroyed by the Others. ("Adrift") The tides rose dramatically on the beach in October of 2004, and seem to have remained at the higher level ever since.
Locations
Crash sites
Over time, a number of people have crashed or been shipwrecked on the Island.
The known crash sites are:
- Flight 815 broke apart mid-air and landed in three locations
- Middle section landed on the beach where the majority of the survivors have made camp
- Tail section landed just off the coast on the other side of the Island
- Cockpit landed in the jungle and was where the Monster was first encountered
- Black Rock, a ship unusually located deep in the Island's jungle
- Henry Gale's balloon, where Ben acquired his alias
- Drug smugglers' plane that was perched above the Pearl
Survivors' locations
The various survivors on the Island have created locations in order to continue living while stranded on the seemingly deserted Island.
Some of these locations are:
- The Camp
- The Graveyard
- The Caves
- The Golf Course
- The Waterfall
- The Garden
- The Cove
- The Tiger Pit
- The Church
- The Sweat lodge
DHARMA Initiative locations
The DHARMA Initiative built a series of science facilities, referred to as "stations", across the Island. Most of these stations have been destroyed, abandoned, ceased functioning, or are in a general state of disrepair.
The known stations are:
- The Swan (Electromagnetic research)
- The Pearl (Psychological research and/or observation)
- The Arrow (Supply/restocking)
- The Staff (Medical research)
- The Flame (Communications)
- The Hydra (Zoological research)
- The Looking Glass (Signal jamming and sonar beacon)
- The Tempest (Toxic gas development)
- The Orchid (Botanical research and space-time research)
- The Temple (Sanctuary, unknown)
Other DHARMA Initiative locations:
- The Capsule dump, where the Pearl station observers apparently sent their reports
- Pala Ferry was the Island's central port
- The Barracks is a group of modern homes and buildings which served as their living quarters
- The Sonar Fence which surrounds and protects the Barracks
- A radio tower designed to broadcast signals in a continuous loop over long distances
Others locations
There are other location on the Island that were created by someone, possibly the DHARMA Initiative, but whose exact origin is unknown. A number of these have been occupied and used by the Others, similar to the stations.
Some locations used by the Others are:
- The Decoy Village, where the Others pretended to be primitive Island inhabitants
- The Door, a fake station entrance located at the Decoy Village
- A Quarry where the Others were working on a runway
- Jacob's cabin, built by Horace Goodspeed and currently occupied by Jacob
Historic locations
A few locations on the Island are still deeply shrouded in mystery. These locations were made by unknown previous inhabitants of the Island, most likely before the DHARMA Initiative's time. These locations have not been explained, but only briefly mentioned or shown:
Some notable historic locations are:
- The Four-toed statue, an enormous statue of unknown origin
- Ruins of some old structure, visited briefly by the Others
Trivia
Personification
The Island is routinely personified by those who have been there, especially by the Others and Locke. It is often described as if it has motivations, abilities, and a conscience.
Some examples of this personification are:
- After his first encounter with the Monster, Locke stated, "I looked into the eye of this Island, and what I saw... was beautiful." ("White Rabbit")
- Ben told Locke that the Island is very selective of who it choose to heal. He added, "I can't wait to show you what this island can do." ("The Brig")
- Tom told Michael that the Island wouldn't let him commit suicide because Michael still had "work to do". ("Meet Kevin Johnson")
Island's name
The only official name given by the writers to the Island so far is "The Eyeland". This is also the name of a song on the official soundtrack.
The survivors have various different nicknames for the Island and some of its geographical features:
- "Heart of Darkness" - Jack - A reference to the novel by Joseph Conrad
- "Craphole Island" - Shannon
- "The Magical Forest" - Sawyer
- "Monkey Island" - Sawyer
- "Mount Vesuvius" - Sawyer
- "Mystery Frickin' Island" - Shannon
- "Rape Caves" - Shannon
Production notes
- According to special features on the Season 1 DVD, the events described in "Whatever the Case May Be", concerning the Island tide changes, were planned by the directors. They wanted to "write-off" the fuselage set, as they had to transport, assemble, and disassemble the entire thing every time they had to shoot a scene that required it.
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
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- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: The Island/Theories
- Does the Island have a name?
- How does the Island move?
- Does it move in time and/or space?
- Where is the Island currently located?
- When is the Island currently located?
- How is the Island hidden from the rest of the world?
- Has it always been hidden from the world?
- How did the DHARMA Initiative and Charles Widmore find it?
- Who were the original inhabitants of the Island?
- What is the source of the Island's apparent healing properties?
- What has the Island done to Christian Shephard?
- What is the cause and nature of the time-dilation effects around the Island?
- Why is it necessary to travel through certain bearings to get to-and-from the Island?
- Why is the Island so important that the Others are willing to kill, or be killed, in order to protect it?
See also
- Sri Lanka Video - First part of video contains direct information about the Island
- Portal:Locations
- Map - Disambiguation page for various maps regarding the Island
- Flight path of Oceanic 815
- Island in Google Maps
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| "Adam & Eve" • Black Rock • DHARMA • The Monster • The Numbers • The Island • Sickness • Four-toed statue • Whispers • Quarantine | ||||||
