Santa Cruz del Islote

Santa Cruz del Islote (Spanish for: Santa Cruz of the Islet or Holy Cross of the Islet) is an artificial island located off the coast of Bolívar Department in Colombia, close to Tolu and Coveñas.[2][3][4] It is a part of the Archipelago of San Bernardo.[4] Its large population for its size has given it notoriety for supposedly being the most densely populated island on earth;[5] however, estimates of its population vary greatly.

Santa Cruz del Islote
Native name:
Santa Cruz del Islote
Geography
LocationSan Bernardo Archipelago
Coordinates9°47′9″N 75°51′33″W
Area1.214057 ha (3.00000 acres)
Length200 m (700 ft)
Width120 m (390 ft)
Administration
Demographics
Population492[1]

History

The islet is partially of artificial origin, built by local fishermen who used coral, debris, stone, and other materials to build up the land at low tide. According to legend, the settlers were attracted to the island not only for its abundance of fish but also because there were no mosquitoes living on it. It is believed that this reclamation dates from around 1870. Due to its small size, some locals would later migrate to neighboring islets such as Tintipán Island or Mucura Island.

In 2013 a community council was formed by the residents to discuss local problems.[6] The island and some residences were affected by flooding due to a tidal wave in 2018.[7]

At an event held in August 2020, attended by the Minister of Technology (ICT) of the Government of Colombia and the Governor of the Department of Bolívar, a free 24-hour Internet service called Zona Digital Rural was established for the island, allowing the residents access to distance education in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, service had been expensive and of poor quality, making it difficult to carry out administrative and educational activities from home.[3][8]

On 2 July 2021 the island became the first territory in Colombia to be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.[9]

Geography

The island has an area of 12,140.57 m2, or almost 1.214057 hectares.[10]

A map of Archipelago of San Bernardo. Santa Cruz del Islote is located in the upper-left of the map.

Demographics

The population of the island is contested, and the frequently cited figure of 1,247 is likely to be an exaggeration.[11] A census taken in the mid-2010s fixed the population at 492.[12] Another source provides a figure of 779 for the corregimiento of Santa Cruz, which is said to be coterminous with the island.[2]

Government and politics

Due to its small size, the territory is not autonomous. Geographically it is part of the San Bernardo Archipelago in the Department of Bolívar in northern Colombia and is guarded by the Colombian Navy.[2]

See also

References
  1. "El pequeño Manhattan del Caribe". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2017-09-19. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  2. "Sin médico, agua ni luz enfrenta el COVID-19 una de las islas más pobladas del planeta: está en Bolívar". Noticias Caracol (in Spanish). 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  3. "Mintic activa Zona Digital Rural en Santa Cruz del Islote". EL HERALDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  4. Rincon-Diaz, Martha Patricia; Rodríguez-Zárate, Clara Jimena (December 2004). "Characterization of nesting beaches and feeding areas of marine turtles at the San Bernardo Archipelago, Colombian Caribbean". Bulletin of Marine and Coastal Research. 33 (1): 137–158. Retrieved 9 January 2015. ISSN 0122-9761 (in Spanish)
  5. Wells, Miriam; Jack, Hunter (January 5, 2013), "How people live on the most crowded island on Earth", Toronto Star
  6. "El pequeño Manhattan del Caribe". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2017-09-19. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  7. "Fuerte oleaje causa emergencias en Santa Cruz del Islote, Bolívar". RCN Radio (in Spanish). 2018-09-24. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  8. ""Esto es histórico, Santa Cruz del Islote ya tiene internet"". EL HERALDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  9. "Isla de Cartagena es el primer territorio nacional vacunado totalmente" (in Spanish). El Tiempo (Colombia). 2 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  10. Lorena, Lucy (11 June 2013). "Un Viaje for Santa Cruz del Islote, la Isla más poblada de Colombia" [Santa Cruz del Islote, lo most densely populated island of Colombia]. El Pais (Colombia) (in Spanish).
  11. "Santa Cruz del Islote, la superpoblada isla de Colombia que preserva un tranquilo estilo de vida". 9 August 2018.
  12. "El pequeño Manhattan del Caribe". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2017-09-19. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
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