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Santa Cruz del Islote is located in Caribbean Sea, more precisely it is the smallest island in theSan Bernardo Archipelagoand is part of the Colombia: is included in the territory of the city of Cartagena de Indiasin the department of Bolivar. Its surface is almost entirely covered by buildings and according to some classifications it is lthe most densely populated island in the world. THE The first settlements date back to around 150 years ago, when it was discovered at the end of the 1800s: it is said that the fishermen stopped on this islet to take refuge from the storms and then started to live there because unlike the neighboring islands, apparently, there were no mosquitoes.
What is the population density of Santa Cruz del Islote?
The highest estimates on the population density of Santa Cruz even speak of around 1,200 inhabitants for an area of around 10,000 square meters of the island. But most likely these are numbers inflated by the media or by some island inhabitants in the mood for exaggeration.
According to more credible estimates – but be careful: there are no certain, clear and official data – the figure would rather be around 800 peoplewhich still means more or less 8 people per 100 square meters. Just to give you an idea, in the city like Milan or Naplesamong the most densely populated in Italy, there is less than 1 inhabitant per 100 square meters.
What it’s like to live on the most densely populated island in the world
Precisely because of this high population density, each house would accommodate ten people on average. Among other things, given that there is no longer any space to erect new buildings, the island is developing vertically, with the construction of new floors above the existing houses.
However, this is a problematic long-term solution, because obviously we cannot continue to build indefinitely and also because the buildings are not particularly stable. There is so little space that there isn’t even a cemetery and in fact the deceased are buried on the nearby island of Tintipanafter a funeral ceremony in Santa Cruz.
Crossing the island from one end to the other takes only a few minutes and you can pass approximately 500 people along the way 140 homes, 4 shops, a church, a medical center which offers basic assistance and a school; school which, just think, also welcomes children and teenagers from nearby islands which, despite being larger, are much less equipped.
Is it really the island with the highest population density?
Having said that, let’s open an important parenthesis on the definition of “most densely populated island”. At the beginning we said that it is “considered” as such because, technically, there is no official data that has established this record. Mainly because It is not at all easy to accurately estimate the number of people that lives in such small and densely populated islands: as we saw for Santa Cruz, the data tends to fluctuate a lot. Firstly because they are not always updated and then, in the specific case of Santa Cruz, because the population varies very quickly. In fact, for example, many children are born, the average age is quite low and the population turnover is minimal but constant.
So if we do a search for the most densely populated islands, sometimes we actually find Santa Cruz quite low in the global rankings, with a estimate of 485 inhabitantsthat is, just under 5 inhabitants per 100 square metres. However, this figure should be based on a census from more than 10 years agowhile, according to the most recent 800 people estimate, Santa Cruz would climb the rankings. Only two small islands of Haitismaller than Santa Cruz, could be more densely populated – indeed they could – respectively with 15 and 12 people per 100 square metersbut here too we do not know how reliable the estimates can be.
Happy oasis or almost: the challenges of Santa Cruz del Islote
Beyond the rankings, the popularity of Santa Cruz also depends on the fact that both the media and tourists have fallen a little, let’s say, in love with this place with certainly peculiar and unique characteristics.
Islanders interviewed in surveys, documentaries and reports say they are happy with their life and have no intention of moving elsewhere: so it seems that few people leave Santa Cruz and many spend their entire lives there. There is in fact a very strong sense of community, there is no policeand it almost seems like we are in front of a peaceful microcosm isolated from the world.
Be careful, however, about romanticizing things too much: Santa Cruz, in fact, has to face some serious problems, such as overpopulationsome environmental risksientals and the poor autonomy regarding many primary goods.
Santa Cruz del Islote imports everything, even drinking water
The island imports almost everything, primarily la petrol and drinking water. In fact, it is nourished by gods solar panels scattered across the territory, which however guarantee electricity for a few hours a day. For the rest, we use a generator that serves the whole island, turned on only at night to save money, or portable generators.
As for water, potable water is used almost exclusively for drinking. In winter, during the rainy season, it comes collected rainwater in cisternswhile when the rains become scarcer Santa Cruz is supplied with drinking water from the mainland, which periodically sends supplies via the Navy.
Risks and problems of Santa Cruz del Islote
The island is also very exposed to floodsIn fact, when it rains more in winter the roads are often flooded. Houses are generally built a little above street level to avoid flooding. Now, with sea levels rising due to global warming, the flooding problem could make it increasingly difficult to live on Santa Cruz.
The people here then live off a subsistence economy. Previously it was practiced a lot fishingbut both for intensive fishing and for the destruction of natural habitats, it is no longer a valid economic basis like in the past.
Santa Cruz thus currently relies more and more on tourism. It is estimated that on average hundreds of people visit the island every dayespecially from large centers in Colombia, such as Bogotá or Medellín. They often stop on the island for a few hours and stay on nearby islands: apart from a few hostels, obviously there is no space to accommodate tourists either.
For the fee of a few euros the local people have a done tour of the island to tourists. The visit generally ends with the possibility of swimming in some kind of artificial pools, where you can swim with fish, rays and small sharks. This practice in particular obviously stresses the animals and is criticized by environmentalists and also by the islanders, who care about the environmental protection of Santa Cruz and promote more environmentally friendly tourism.
The balance between tourism and the environment is also difficult with regards to the problem of garbagecertainly fueled by the passage of so many people. In fact, large quantities end up in the sea, although there are those who collect it and bury it on nearby Tintipàn or separate it to have it disposed of on the mainland.
In short, lights and shadows, for a place, in any case, unique in the world.
