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[[File:Plattegrond van Deshima.jpg|thumb|In the Japanese port of Nagasaki, the artificial island of Dejima in the 17th century]]
An '''artificial island''' or '''man-made island''' is constructed by people.  The island was not formed by nature.  Artificial islands may vary in size.

==History==
The creation of artificial islands has a long history, including
* [[14th century]]: [[Tenochtitlan]], the [[Aztec]] city in the same place as [[Mexico City]]
* [[17th century]]: [[Dejima]] (or ''Deshima''), created in the shape of a fan in the bay of [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]] during [[Japan]]'s [[Edo period]]<ref>Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC&pg=PA152&dq= "Deshima (Dejima)"] in ''[[Japan Encyclopedia]]'', p. 152.</ref>
* [[19th century]]: [[Ellis Island]], in the harbor of [[New York City]]
* [[20th century]]: [[Kansai International Airport]] in [[Osaka]]<ref>Nussbaum, [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC&pg=PA477&dq= "Kansai International Airport"] at p. 477.</ref>
* [[21st century]]: [[Palm Jumeirah]] in [[Dubai]];<ref name="jumirah">Luxhabitat.ae, [http://www.luxhabitat.ae/SelectedLocations/by-development/44?gclid=CMO5l_-Hta8CFQVoKgodQn_8lg Palm Jumeirah] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201220552/http://www.luxhabitat.ae/SelectedLocations/by-development/44?gclid=CMO5l_-Hta8CFQVoKgodQn_8lg |date=2014-02-01 }}; retrieved 2012-6-10.</ref> [[Fiery Cross Reef]], [[Johnson South Reef]], and [[Mischief Reef]] by [[China]]

== Largest artificial islands ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right"
|-
! #  !! Name !! Size (km²) !! Country or Emirate!! Utilisation
|-
| 1 || align="left" | [[Flevopolder]] || {{formatnum:970}} || [[Netherlands]] || towns, agriculture
|-
| 2 || align="left" | [[Yas Island]] || {{formatnum:25}} || [[Abu Dhabi]] || [[Yas Marina Circuit]] 
|-
| 3 || align="left" | [[Palm Jebel Ali]] || {{formatnum:8}} || [[Dubai]] || 
|-
| 4 || align="left" | [[Chūbu Centrair International Airport]] || {{formatnum:6.8}} || [[Japan]] || [[Airport]] 
|-
| 5 || align="left" | [[Palm Jumeirah]] <ref name="jumirah"/> || {{formatnum:6.5}}<ref name="jumirah"/> || [[Dubai]] || [[housing]] 
|-
| 6 || align="left" | [[Kansai International Airport]] || {{formatnum:4}} || [[Japan]] || [[Airport]] 
|-
|}

==Political status==
Under the  [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]] treaty (UNCLOS), artificial islands are not considered harbor works (Article 11).  Such islands are part of the nearest coastal state if the island is within {{convert|200|nmi|km}} (Article 56).<ref>[http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm UNCLOS and Agreement on Part XI - Preamble and frame index]</ref> 

Artificial islands are not considered islands for purposes of having their own [[territorial waters]] or [[Exclusive Economic Zone]] (EEZ).<ref>EEZ is an English [[wikt:acronym|acronym]]. EEZ stands for "'''E'''xclusive '''E'''conomic '''Z'''one".</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Nagasaki bay siebold.jpg|[[Dejima]], not allowed direct contact with nearby [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]]
Image:Kansai closeup.jpg|A view of [[Kansai International Airport]] from space
Image:Palm Island Resort.jpg|[[Palm Jumeirah]] in [[Dubai]]

</gallery>

==Related pages==
* [[List of artificial islands]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Other websites==
{{Commons category-inline|Artificial islands}}

[[Category:Artificial islands| ]]