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Colombians tell what life's like on 'world's most crowded island'04:32

Colombians tell what life's like on 'world's most crowded island'

Colombia, Santa Cruz del Islote
February 22, 2022 at 19:33 GMT +00:00 · Published

An artificial island off the coast of Colombia claiming to be the most densely populated in the world is struggling with water supply as seen in footage shot on Tuesday.

Located in the Caribbean Sea in the San Bernardo archipelago, Santa Cruz del Islote is home to an estimated 800 people who live on a piece of land barely larger than one hectare.

"The most important issue in Santa Cruz is water since we do not have permanent drinking water. We do not have a health centre with a permanent doctor either, we do not have 24 hours of electricity, and in the educational sector, there is a lack of technology for children so they are unable to acquire the skills they need to develop," Adrian Caraballo, a resident said.

Due to global warming and rising water levels, more and more tides are flooding homes, leaving a lot of waste in living rooms and on the streets with erosion adding to flooding.

The exact number of inhabitants remains unofficial due to population sizes on tiny islands often being estimates rather than official statistics. Claims beyond 1,000 inhabitants are considered to be exaggerated to the locals.

Colombians tell what life's like on 'world's most crowded island'04:32
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An artificial island off the coast of Colombia claiming to be the most densely populated in the world is struggling with water supply as seen in footage shot on Tuesday.

Located in the Caribbean Sea in the San Bernardo archipelago, Santa Cruz del Islote is home to an estimated 800 people who live on a piece of land barely larger than one hectare.

"The most important issue in Santa Cruz is water since we do not have permanent drinking water. We do not have a health centre with a permanent doctor either, we do not have 24 hours of electricity, and in the educational sector, there is a lack of technology for children so they are unable to acquire the skills they need to develop," Adrian Caraballo, a resident said.

Due to global warming and rising water levels, more and more tides are flooding homes, leaving a lot of waste in living rooms and on the streets with erosion adding to flooding.

The exact number of inhabitants remains unofficial due to population sizes on tiny islands often being estimates rather than official statistics. Claims beyond 1,000 inhabitants are considered to be exaggerated to the locals.