5 Mind Boggling Man-Made Islands You Have To Check Out
Most islands originate via natural occurrences. Volcanic islands form when an oceanic volcano erupts, spewing molten lava that is hardened by the cool water. Over time, the lava builds up, forming an island. A prime example of a volcanic islands are the Hawaiian Islands. Continental islands form along the continental shelf of a continent. Examples of continental islands are Britain, Ireland and Taiwan. And, some tropical islands formed from coral reefs are Maldives, Tonga and Samoa.
But, some islands are man-made and can be quite amazing. Below are 5:
1. Wilhelmstein Island, Germany
Wilhemstein Island is a small island in the middle of Lake Steinhude, Northwest Germany's biggest lake. It was built between 1765 and 1767 by order of William, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe who intended for the island to be his very own island fortress. Constructing this island wasa painstaking task to say the least. Men hauled rocks by boat to the construction site, then dropped them into the water until the area was built up enough to form an island. Today, the island is a museum and tourist attraction.
2. THUMS Islands, USA
These four man-made islands sit just off Long Beach, California's coast. The name is derived from the acronym of the five companies that had them built: Texaco, Humble (Exxon), Union Oil, Mobil, and Shell. I'm sure you've guessed what the islands were built for by looking at the companies that constructed them. The islands are used for drilling oil. Since multi-million dollar beach homes faced the area the islands were built on, the companies didn't want them to be an eye-sore. So, they hired architect Joseph Linesch, who designed many theme parks, including Disneyland, to design the oil drilling islands. The resulting design was called “…part Disney, part Jetsons, part Swiss Family Robinson” by The Los Angeles Times.
3. The Pearl-Qatar, Qatar
Despite the fact that temperatures in Qatar can soar to over 100 degrees F, this oil-rich, Middle Eastern country is going to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. So, to not only make the event more comfortable, but also more memorable for attendees, the Pearl-Qatar was built and 3 five-star hotels were constructed on the island. Taking 10 years to build, the island also features fine dining establishments, international retail stores and entertainment. At last count, there were 12,000 permanent inhabitants living on the island, but the population is anticipated to increase to 4 times that by 2018.
4. Notre Dame Island, Canada
In 1967, Montreal, Quebec was to host the International and Universal Exposition. In preparation of the influx of tourists into the town for the event, Montreal decided to build a metro system. But, they would need to dig out 15 million tons of rock, dirt and debris during the building process. What did they decide to do with all this extra Earth? Why, build the Notre Dame Island, of course! The island was built in the Saint Lawrence River and today holds the Montreal Casino and the Jacques Villeneuve Circuit, where the Canadian Grand Prix is held.
5. IJburg, Netherlands
Amsterdam is a beautiful city that is steeped in history. It's a popular tourist destination and also a popular place to live. So popular, in fact, that by the early 1990s, housing was becoming a huge problem. Their solution: they built a series of islands called, IJurb. Individually, the islands' names are Steigereiland, Haveneiland, and Rieteilanden. Construction on the islands began in 1996 and continues today. A 2015 census found that 20,000 people were living in IJurb and, once all construction is completed, it will be able to house 45,000 people! The islands don't only have homes on them, however. There are also shopping centers, restaurants, hospitals, beaches and schools. Floating houseboats in the Waterbuurt District of IJurb are called home by the more wealthy inhabitants. Some even have their own docks where their boats can be moored.
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