I'd prefer one of the islands in the Canadian arctic:
en.wikipedia.org
They have to be cheap. No need to patrol. Polar bears will do that.
There are 300 islands in the Aleutian chain and they're US territory. We don't have to buy any of the islands, we already own them:
en.wikipedia.org
The growing season lasts about 135 days, from early in May till late in September, but agriculture is limited to the raising of a few vegetables. With the exception of some stunted willows, the vast majority of the chain is destitute of native trees. On some of the islands, such as Adak and Amaknak, there are a few coniferous trees growing, remnants of the Russian period. While tall trees grow in many cold climates, Aleutian conifers—some of them estimated to be two hundred years old—rarely reach a height of even ten feet, and many of them are still less than five feet tall. This is because the islands, much like the Falklands and other islands of similar latitudes, experience such strong winds that taller trees are vulnerable to snapping off.
No trees big enough to make canoes or rafts from.
Attu sounds nice - its population is 20. Not sure how many are permanent residents versus military - coast guard types:
The weather on Attu is typical Aleutian weather: cloudy, rainy, and foggy. High winds occur occasionally. Five or six days a week are likely to be rainy, and there are only about eight or ten clear days a year. The rest of the time, even if rain is not falling, fog of varying density is the rule rather than the exception. There are 39–49 inches (990–1,200 mm) of annual rainfall & other precipitation, with the heaviest rains in the autumn and early winter. |
