Artificial islands are artificially constructed rather than naturally formed islands. They are generally built on the basis of small islands and reefs, which is a type of land reclamation.
Its history can be traced back to Crannog (ancient Celtic lake residence) in prehistoric Scotland and Ireland. At that time, artificial islands were built on the water, and they were built in shallow water with wood and three stones. In modern times, the area and scale of artificial islands are even larger. Today, I will introduce to you the top ten artificial islands in the world.
No.10. Port Island – Japan
Port Island is located in Chuo District, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The first phase of the project was completed in 1981, with an area of 4.43 square kilometer, which was the largest artificial island in the world at that time. The second phase of the project was completed in 2010, with an area of 3.9 square kilometer. The north side is connected to the center of Kobe on Honshu land through the Kobe Bridge and the Kobe Port Island Tunnel, and the south side is connected to the artificial island of Kobe Airport through the Kobe Sky Bridge. There is a harbor artificial island line on the island as a railway to connect with foreign countries.
No.09. Mischief Reef – China
Mischief Reef is located on the east side of the central part of the Spratly Islands in China. After reclamation, its land area will reach 5.52 square kilometer, replacing Yongxing Island in the Xisha Islands. It has become the largest island among the islands in the South China Sea. It has a 2,700-meter-long airstrip that can park large passenger planes. In addition, a dock for ships and cruise ships is under construction.
No.08. Rokko Island – Japan
Rokko Island is an artificial island located in Higashitan District, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 1992 with a total area of about 5.80 square kilometer. Most of the public facilities such as enterprises, residences, and shops are concentrated in the middle of the artificial island, and the Japanese headquarters of the multinational daily necessities manufacturer Procter & Gamble is also located here.
No.07. Palm Jumeirah – United Arab Emirates
The Palm Jumeirah is located in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula and north of Dubai. It is the small palm island among the three major palm islands in Dubai. With an area of 6.5 square kilometer and a diameter of about 5km, it consists of three parts: an artificial island in the shape of a palm trunk, 17 small islands in the shape of palm leaf veins, and an 11km-long ring-shaped breakwater island surrounding them. The island yard is built entirely of sand and rocks. The buildings on the island are mainly composed of villas, hotels, and sea-view apartments. It is also a famous tourist resort.
No.06. Central Japan International Airport – Japan
Central Japan International Airport is the main international airport in Nagoya and the central region, and it is the third airport in Japan built by land reclamation. The field covers an area of 6.8square kilometer, and the artificial island is built in the shape of the English letter “P”. Central Japan International Airport opened in August 2000. Built at a cost of $7.3 billion, the airport was officially opened on February 17, 2005.
No.05 Palm Jebel Ali – United Arab Emirates
Palm Jebel Ali is located in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula and north of Dubai City. It is the medium-sized Palm Island among the three major palm islands in Dubai. Palm Jebel Ali is located in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula and north of Dubai City. The medium-sized Palm Island is located on the westernmost side of the four major reclamation projects in Dubai, with an area of 8 square kilometer. It is about 7.3 kilometers long and 6.4 kilometers wide. Palm Jebel Ali is located on the westernmost side of the four major reclamation projects in Dubai, it covers an area of 8 square kilometer. It is about 7.3 kilometers long and 6.4 kilometers wide.
No.04. Kansai International Airport – Japan
Kansai International Airport is located on the coast of Quanzhou in the southeast of Osaka Bay, about 38 kilometers away from the center of Osaka, with an area of about 10.68 square kilometer. Construction of Kansai International Airport started in 1987 and was completed and opened on September 4, 1994. It is the world’s first airport built entirely from land reclamation.
No.03. Hong Kong International Airport – Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong International Airport is located on Lantau Island, Outlying Islands, Hong Kong, covering an area of about 12.6square kilometer. The airport was opened on July 6, 1998. And in August 2016, the expansion of the third runway began. The third runway is expected to be opened in 2022, and the entire project is expected to be completed in 2024. Since 2010, its cargo traffic has ranked first in the world for many years.
No.02. Yas Island – United Arab Emirates
It is located in Abu Dhabi, Yas Island covers an area of about 25 square kilometer and was built by the Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Company with an investment of nearly $40 billion. The island is home to many world-class attractions, such as the state-of-the-art Yas Marina Circuit, the world’s largest indoor theme park Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, etc.
No.01. Flevopolder – Netherlands
The Flevopolder is a polder in the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands, consisting of two polders: East Flevoland and South Flevopolder. It is an artificial island formed by artificial reclamation during the Zuiderzee I journey. Two polders were built between 1950-1957 and 1959-1968. Surrounded by water, the Fleife Polder is the largest island in the Netherlands and the largest artificial island in the world. The total area is about 970 square kilometer.
