Artificial Islands Afloat

Human-constructed islands are nothing new, but we're building more now than ever before.

- By Rachel Kehoe

Dredgers pumped sand from the seafloor off the coast of Miami, Florida. Out of the warm, choppy waters of Biscayne Bay, the human-made island of Rivo Alto started to take shape. It was eventually joined by five more islands. They were all lined up and connected to downtown Miami by bridges. Since the late 1920s, the Venetian Islands have enticed tourists and celebrities with their tree-lined streets and tranquil atmosphere.

But artificial islands have been around for centuries. For example, sprinkled throughout the lochs of Scotland and Ireland are hundreds of bushy mounds called crannogs. These small, flat pieces of land were built thousands of years ago by placing heavy stones on top of logs driven into shallow water. Why they're here isn't exactly known. Some believe wealthy families built them to help keep sheep and cattle safe from thieves.

Today, advancements in science and engineering have enabled humans to perfect the art of constructing artificial islands. We are now building more new islands than ever before.

Artificial Islands of the World

Why are islands built in lakes, rivers, or seas? One big reason is tourism. When builders started looking for ways to construct a Disneyland in Tokyo-one of the world's most populated cities they needed a large area of land. So, they decided to use Urayasu, an artificial island located in Tokyo Bay. This island had been built by dredging sand and rock from Tokyo Bay. The new island was 115 acres (0.46 square km) in size. When Tokyo Disneyland opened in April 1983, it quickly became