Crowded but not aggrieved
The area of this remarkable island, located in Colombia, is just 12 thousand square meters. That is roughly a football field and a half, the «Solnechny Ray» shopping mall in Krasnogorsk, or 20 standard 6-are dacha plots.
On this little piece of land, 97 residential houses fit practically right up against one another, in which around 1,200 people are crammed. This island has been recognized as the most densely populated in the world – such a density of population is not to be found anywhere else.
Here there is a cafe, three little shops, a medical station, a dance hall and an aquarium with sharks and turtles. In the evangelical church, the size of a garage, there are no icons or statues, but a hammock is hung up for the priest to rest in.
The town square from time to time turns into a football field. Cockfights are also held here – the islanders' favorite entertainment. For this, no fewer than 150 fighting roosters are kept on Santa Cruz. The tallest local building is a three-story school. Twice a week lessons are held in it, attended not only by locals but also by children from the surrounding islands. The houses, some of which are set on stilts right in the water, are passed down by inheritance from generation to generation, and new ones may be built only in exceptional cases and with the consent of all the residents.
The comforts of civilization? No, never heard of them
On the island of Santa Cruz there is no running water or sewerage, and electricity is supplied by a generator for only 5 hours a day. In recent years the Colombians have been greatly helped by solar panels donated by the Japanese authorities.
The greatest treasure for the local residents is fresh water, since there is not a single source of it here. Once every three weeks tankers bring food and canisters of drinking water, but it is very expensive. They have to economize, and for cooking they collect rainwater using systems of gutters and pipes.
Another serious problem of Santa Cruz is trash, which there is no way to dispose of on the spot. It is periodically hauled away, but only when 600 sacks have accumulated. Moreover, this service is paid, and the population lives poorly, so most of the waste goes straight into the ocean.
There are no police on the island, but they are not needed: all the residents know one another well and never lock their front doors. And an unofficial elder helps to resolve disputes and maintain order. The Colombians get by without a hospital or a cemetery. Several times a week they make use of the services of a visiting medic, and they bury their deceased on one of the neighboring islands.
All of Santa Cruz can be walked across in any direction in less than an hour, and there is no need for any transport, but on the other hand every family is sure to have its own boat – the only way to reach the mainland and other, larger and more developed islands.
Life like a celebration
Strange as it may seem, Santa Cruz is a demographically young island. More than 60 percent of the islanders are people under the age of 35. It is not surprising that life here is in full swing and resembles a celebration. The residents love to dress in bright clothes and wear unusual hairstyles. Thanks to the fact that there is internet on Santa Cruz, they also keep up with the new trends of world fashion. On the streets, children's laughter and shouts ring out until late at night. People here live like one family, rejoicing in life and making merry, despite the hardships.
The Colombians' main occupation is fishing, as well as tourism. With its exoticism the island attracts many adventure-seekers. Here you can stroll along the only street, ride in a boat, go diving or fishing. Nevertheless, there is not enough work for everyone, so many residents have to travel daily to earn a living in the hotels and restaurants of neighboring islands, as well as the mainland part of Colombia.
The history of its emergence
As recently as 160 years ago, in the place of Santa Cruz del Islote there was only a small coral reef. According to legend, fishermen sometimes used it to rest and take shelter in a storm. They took a great liking to this place, since due to the absence of vegetation there were no mosquitoes there at all – unlike the surrounding islands.
Using stones, corals and simply trash, they began gradually to expand the area of the reef, to build it up with shacks and hovels, and to bring their families here. And so the tiny artificial island came into being. Once a storm washed a reinforced-concrete cross up onto the shore. The residents decided that this was a sign and erected it in the center of the island. That is how the name «Santa Cruz» came about – which translates from Spanish as the island of the Holy Cross.
