Santa Cruz del Islote ( Spanish for: ''Santa Cruz of the Islet'' or ''Holy Cross of the Islet'') is an

artificial island An artificial island is an island that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means. Artificial islands may vary in size from small islets reclaimed solely to support a single pillar of a building or structure to those th ...

located off the coast of Bolívar Department in Colombia, close to Tolu and

Coveñas Coveñas is a Resort town and municipality located in the Sucre Department, northern Colombia. It was established in the 16th century as a port for slave traders, then it became an oil port in the twentieth century . It became a municipality in 20 ...

. It is a part of the

Archipelago of San Bernardo The Archipelago of San Bernardo ( es, Archipiélago de San Bernardo, Islas de San Bernardo) is a set of nine coastal coral islands and one artificial island (ten in total) belonging to and governed by Colombia, located in the Gulf of Morrosquillo ...

. Its large population for its size has given it notoriety for supposedly being the most densely populated island on earth; however, estimates of its population vary greatly.

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 Tintipán Island ( es, Isla Tintipán) is a coral island located in the Archipelago of San Bernardo, Gulf of Morrosquillo, Caribbean Sea. It is governed by Colombia as part of the Bolívar Department. Tourism The island is home to several hote ...

or Mucura Island. In 2013 a community council was formed by the residents to discuss local problems. The island and some residences were affected by flooding due to a tidal wave in 2018. At an event held in August 2020, attended by the Minister of Technology (ICT) of the

Government of Colombia The Government of Colombia is a republic with separation of powers into executive, judicial and legislative branches. Its legislature has a congress, its judiciary has a supreme court, and its executive branch has a president. The citiz ...

and the Governor of the Department of Bolívar, a free 24-hour

Internet service An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privat ...

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

Geography

The island has an area of 12,140.57 m², or almost 1.214057 hectares. Mapa de las Islas de San Bernardo

Demographics

The population of the island is contested, and the frequently cited figure of 1,247 is likely to be an exaggeration. A census taken in the mid-2010s fixed the population at 492. Another source provides a figure of 779 for the ''

corregimiento ''Corregimiento'' (; ca, Corregiment, ) is a Spanish term used for country subdivisions for royal administrative purposes, ensuring districts were under crown control as opposed to local elites. A ''corregimiento'' was usually headed by a ''corre ...

'' of Santa Cruz, which is said to be coterminous with the island.

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.

References

External links