There are 1,864 islands in the chain of North American islands known as the Thousand Islands, which dot the Saint Lawrence River. The archipelago can be found off Alexandria Bay between New York and Ontario. The smallest of these specks of land that can boast any inhabitants is just 3,300 square feet (307 sq m), or one-thirteenth of an acre, in size -- barely large enough for its current contents: a small house, a tree, and a tiny beach. The island was purchased in the 1950s by the Sizeland family as a holiday getaway. They built the house and christened the island Just Room Enough Island. The Sizelands hoped it would be a nice place to escape from civilization, but river-cruising sightseers soon spoiled their serenity.
An isle with a view:
- For a speck of land in the Thousand Islands to be considered an island, it must be larger than one square foot, must remain above the water level all year long, and must have at least one tree.
- Now considered the world’s smallest island, Just Room Enough is in the same neighborhood as Heart Island, which is home to Boldt Castle, the iconic mansion that hotel millionaire George Boldt began building in 1900.
- The smallest inhabited island in the world, according to Guinness World Records, used to be Bishop Rock, off England's Isles of Scilly. When its lighthouse was automated in 1982, it was no longer inhabited.