Wyspy, oazy, płaskowyże życie i gospodarka na obszarach izolowanych

Islands, oasis and highlands are apparently different geographic objects. However, it is not difficult to notice that they do have a common feature: natural barrier separating them from other parts of the world. A route from the external world to an isolated area, if it exist, crosses that barrier. Such a situation of difficult access and limited contacts with the external world has an impact on ways in which societies inhabiting isolated areas function. That impact is bigger, the more difficult and longer is the way connecting the external world and an "island", the less connections exist between them, and the nore limited number of representants of the external world come to the 'island'. The article presents an attempt of comparison of spatial isolation, life and economy of societies of the Mili atoll in Micronesia, of the Tao (Koh Tao) island situated in the Thailand Gulf, of the French highland of Causse Noir, Pakistani village Shimsal in Karakorum and Tunisian oasis of Tamerza and Zaafrane. While comparing economies of the described areas we can notice that in those situated relatively 'close' to the external world, with medium and high density of population, the economy is more diversified. Among other relationships possible to observe on such a limited sample we can mention relation between the extension of the studied area and the way of life of its inhabitants. The area of the biggest extend - Causse Noir - is inhabited by permanent population, while on the rest of them the population economic activities are related to human movements. Within the studied areas it is possible to observe the relationship between the density of population and the character of settlement. The lower the density, the more disperse is the settlement pattern. The pattern of settlement shows no relation to the type of area. Many factors contribute to the area diversity- the distance from the «external world» and the density of population, as well as culture, can probably be considered as the most important ones. It is difficult to find a relationship between the type of the area and the way of functioning of the local society. It does not seem important whether the area studied is an island, an oasis or a highland. What matters is that is an 'island', in the sense of an isolated area.