Podwójna izolacja jako determinanta rozwoju społeczno-ekonomicznego małych państw wyspiarskich Globalnego Południa

The aim of the article is to describe the development problems of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This group is characterised by a specific vulnerability, resulting from geographical features, such as such as: small size, limited natural resources, isolation and natural disasters. They determine the narrow specialisation and marginal importance of these economies in international trade.The unfavourable geographical location is considered to be the most important obstacle to development in the case of SIDS. For the purposes of these considerations, they are identified with a significant distance from the main centres of socio-economic life (continents) – ‘economic distance’ which the author identifies with the concepts of isolation and solitude. Then two forms of SIDS isolation are adopted: external isolation (from external markets) and internal isolation. In the second case, two forms are additionally distinguished: simple and complex.This classification, in combination with the outlined basic models (development paths) characteristic of SIDS (MIRAB, SITE, PROFIT), has made it possible to answer the two research questions. Firstly, it has been found that in general the type (degree) of isolation signifi cantly determines the current level of the socio-economic development of the analysed small island states. Secondly, countries characterised by the so-called double insulation still remain at a particular disadvantage. In the latter case, however, one should take account of the fact that ‘the world is shrinking’ and insulation is ‘variable with time’. The fact that these countries joined the world market late (for example, the tourist market) may be an advantage for them as shown by the examples of such SIDS as Palau, Maldives or Seychelles, among others.