Robben Island, once described by Nelson Mandela as “the harshest, most iron-fisted outpost in the South African penal system,” has become an international symbol of the triumph of the human spirit. Over the years, the 574-hectare island has been put to a variety of uses: it has been used as a pantry, a hospital, a whaling station, a mental asylum, a leprosy colony, a military camp and a maximum security prison to house anti-apartheid activists. Today Robben Island is a living museum and World Heritage Site, a tangible reminder of the past and a symbol of hope for the future.