Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Santa Cruz del Islote — Do you ever feel like Utah is getting pretty crowded these days?
Maybe it's when you're sitting on I-15 at 4:30 p.m. after you left early to beat rush-hour traffic. But no, you didn't actually beat rush-hour traffic. And where did all these cars even come from? And how are there so many people on the road?
Or maybe it's when you notice 100 new houses and businesses that just opened up around the corner from your house before you even noticed there was construction happening.
Either way, it's no secret that Utah's population is rapidly growing. In fact, a report from February said the state's population will surpass 5 million in less than 50 years. With all those changes, it might be easy to feel like you have a little less space than you're used to. But I think once you watch this video, you'll feel like you have all the space you need.
The video comes from Great Big Story, and it gives us a look at a small island off the coast of Colombia called Santa Cruz del Islote. The island is only about three acres in size, but it also happens to be the most densely populated island in the world. More than 1,200 people live on Santa Cruz del Islote. According to the video, that makes it four times as dense as Manhattan.
When you first get a look at the island, it's unbelievable to think of so many people living in such a small space, but the people there say they love it. The island is home to a school, two shops and one restaurant, and since everyone who lives there knows each other, there's no need for police.
Yesterday's Have You Seen This?
Watch the video to learn more about Santa Cruz del Islote, and if you'd like a point of reference, just know Utah is currently ranked 41st for population density out of all 50 states. It'd take 21.7 billion residents for the Beehive State to reach this island's level of crowded.










