From the ancient rock island of Kubu in the middle of a salt pan in Botswana, to thriving Hong Kong Island; from the quiet remoteness of the Stockholm Archipelago to the frenetic festival on Sagar Island in the Ganges in India and even from the snowy wastes of Svalbard in the high Arctic to the deserted shores of Socotra off the coast of Yemen this book will show you a world you probably never knew existed but won't be able to resist exploring.

The island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, has been named in Unforgettable Islands to Escape to Before You Die, a book published by BBC Books. The book, written by Steve Davey and Marc Schlossman, showcases 40 islands around the world. Newfoundland is third in the book, after The Society Islands in French Polynesia and Si Phan Don in Loas.

“Just off the east coast of Canada, Newfoundland is known as the ‘crossroads of the world’…and it lives up to its nickname,” Davey states. The description outlines Newfoundland’s close proximity to Europe and some of its notable attractions. Unforgettable Islands outlines Newfoundland’s connection to some of the world’s significant historic events, from the first North American settlement by the Vikings, Amelia Earhart’s departure from Harbour Grace in 1932, the laying of the first Trans-Atlantic cable in Heart’s Content in 1866 and Marconi’s first Trans-Atlantic wireless message from Signal Hill (in St. John’s) in 1901. The book also describes Newfoundland’s relation to sinking of the Titanic just 640km from its shore.

Here, Davey offers some interesting facts about the icebergs that can be seen along the island’s shoreline in May, June and July. Of Newfoundland’s many appeals, Davey makes a point of discussing the island’s abundance of wildlife. “Newfoundland is home to the highest concentration of moose in North America, and there are caribou on the Avalon Peninsula. The island’s birdlife is spectacular, especially in the Cape St. Mary’s Ecological reserve, which has some of the most accessible seabird colonies in the world”. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gros Morne is also mentioned at length. “The most dramatic region of the island is arguably Gros Morne National Park. Its landscape is the result of a combination of glaciation and tectonic plate movements, and the Western Brook Pond is set in a classic example of a valley that was carved out by a glacier.” Davey describes visiting the small settlements along the Newfoundland coast is “like stepping back 100 years in time. These are not just tourist traps; they are well-preserved working fishing communities”.

Unforgettable Islands finishes its section on Newfoundland with a musing about its capital city of St. John’s. “The oldest city in North America, St. John’s is lively and colourful, with a vibrant feel that contrasts well with the island’s unspoilt natural scenery…and the houses that line many of the city’s…streets are painted in different vivid colours.” Other mentions in the book include Newfoundland’s thriving nightlife, specifically on George Street in St. John’s,hich has the highest concentration of bars and nightclubs in the northern part of North America.