10 Largest Man-Made Islands In The World

These man-made islands or artificial islands are constructed by people, not by natural means. Artificial islands are usually formed by land reclamation, or by the isolation of an existing piece of land that happened incidentally during canal construction. Artificial islands may vary in size from small islets to the large islands that support cities.

Flevopolder in Netherlands is the biggest man-made island in the world.

So, here are 10 largest artificial islands in the world that not only support cities but also huge international airports:

1. Flevopolder, Netherlands

Flevopolder is a region of reclaimed land, in Flevoland, Netherlands. Flevopolder is completely surrounded by bordering lakes, even the name Flevo itself refers to the ancient lake Flevo.

The construction of the artifical island of Flevopolder began in 1955, and become the largest artificial island in the world, which covers 370 square miles in area. Today Flevopolder is the home for the ±317,000 inhabitans.

2. Yas Island, United Arab Emirates

Yas Island located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The project of island’s development was initiated in 2006, with the total land area covers 2,500 hectares (25 km²). This artificial island is connected to the mainland by boat, car, and plane. Yas Island is aimed to be a multi-purpose leisure, shopping and entertainment center.

Yas Island is a house for hotels, malls, restaurants, Yas Waterworld, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, including Ferrari World, and Yas Marina Circuit. There are also Yas Links which become the 24th World’s best Golf courses outside the USA, and Yas Express Saadiyat shuttle service which interlinks St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi with Yas Island.

3. Kansai International Airport, Japan

Kansai International Airport, colloquially known as Kankū, is an international airport located on an artificial island in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The artificial island has 2.5 miles long and 1.6 miles wide. Construction started in 1987, and on  4 September 1994, Kansai officially opened to relieve overcrowding at Osaka International Airport.

The total cost of Kansai Airport as of 2008 was $20 billion. Initially, most additional costs were due to the island sinking. The island had been predicted to sink 19 feet by the most optimistic estimate. However, the island had sunk 27 feet by 1999.

4. Hong Kong International Airport, Hongkong

Hong Kong International Airport is located on the island of Chek Lap Kok, that is why the airport is also colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport. With the 28 feet elevation, the island comprises land reclaimed for the construction of the airport itself, which covers an area of 4.85 square miles.

The airport was opened on 6 July 1998, and has been in commercial operation since. It is one of the world's busiest passenger airports, and the world's busiest cargo gateway. Also a focus city for many airlines,  with more than 100 airlines operate flights to over 180 cities across the earth.

The North Lantau Highway on Lantau Island connects the airport to inner Hong Kong. With the fastest service is the Airport Express, as part of the MTR rapid transit network. Other services are buses, taxis, and direct ferry services via Skypier.

5. Palm Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates

Palm Jebel Ali is an artificial archipelago in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Palm Jebel Ali is proposed to be 50 percent larger than Palm Jumeirah, and is proposed to include homes, a water theme park, six marinas, and boardwalks. The Palm Jebel Ali is expected to house more than 250,000 people, once it is completed.

The construction of Palm Jebel Ali began in October 2002, and was originally planned to be completed by mid-2008, but has been on hold since. The reason is the financial crisis and the prices of properties were reported to have fallen by 40%.

The developers, Nakheel, have confirmed that there’s no work would take place on the development in the near future. In November 2014, 74 owners on Palm Jebel Ali wrote to the Ruler of Dubai regarding the stalled project. Though Nakheel remains committed to the project long term but seems there is nothing more they can do for original investors.

6. Chubu Centrair International Airport, Japan

Chubu Centrair, or Chūbu Kokusai Kūkō, is one of five off-shore airports built on an artificial island in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The name Centrair is an abbreviation of Central Japan International Airport. In 2015, the airport was ranked as 8th busiest in the nation, given that 10.2 million people used the airport and 208,000 tons of cargo was moved using this airport’s services.

There are few methods to connects the Centrair to the mainland: the fastest "μSky Limited Express" connects the airport to Meitetsu-Nagoya Station in 28 minutes, three high-speed ferry, cars and buses via toll road that links Centrair to the mainland.

7. Palm Jumeirah, United Arab Emirates

Palm Jumeirah is an artificial archipelago in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which extends into the Persian Gulf. Palm Jumeirah Monorail connects the Palm Jumeirah to the mainland. It is a 5.4-kilometre-long (3.4 miles) monorail, also the first monorail in the Middle East.

Palm Jumeirah is part of a larger series of Palm Islands, including Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira. Construction of the Palm Jumeirah island began in June 2001, and when completed, Palm Islands will increase Dubai's shoreline by a total of 520 kilometres.

In 2009, New York Times reported that the Palm was sinking at the rate of 0.20 inch per year. This report was refuted by the developers by saying that the claims suggesting the Palm has sunk by 5 mm, as detected by NASA's laser altimeter satellite, are not possible because that satellite has an accuracy of only ± 2.0 inches.

8. Rokkō Island, Japan

Rokkō Island covers 5.80 km², and becomes the second major artificial island in Kobe, Japan. It was constructed between 1973 and 1992 from reclaimed land. Rokkō Island is connected to JR Sumiyoshi Station by the Rokkō Liner.

Today, Rokkō Island becomes the house for apartment buildings, markets, hotels, a water amusement park, sports and conventions facilities, container yards, wharves, port facilities, Kobe Fashion Museum, universities and schools. There was also Norwegian School, that was moved to Rokko Island in 1990 but closed in 2005.

9. Port Island, Japan

Port Island is an artificial island in Kobe, Japan. It was constructed from 1966, and officially opened in 1981, with an exposition called "Portopia '81." Port Island is connected to Sannomiya Station and to Kobe Airport by the Port Liner automated guideway transit system.

With area 523 hectares, Port Island becomes a house for heliport, hotels, convention center, the UCC Coffee Museum, and several parks. There are also universities on the island.

10. Willingdon Island, India

Willingdon Island is the largest man-made island in India. It was created in 1936, and was named after The 1st Earl of Willingdon, who commissioned the project. Venduruthy Bridge connects Willingdon Island to the mainland.

British Royal Air Force use this artificial isle as a thriving military base during second world war. After India gained independence, the island aerodrome was developed into the  modern airport, and the remaining space on the island became the commercial heart of Cochin.

Today, Willingdon Island is a major port, a landmark, also  a home for tourist centre, travel agencies, souvenir shop warehouses, a few hotels,  business centers, and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flevopolder

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yas_Island

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansai_International_Airport

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_International_Airport

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jebel_Ali

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chubu_Centrair_International_Airport

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jumeirah

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rokk%C5%8D_Island

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Island

10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willingdon_Island