Are There Really Two Iowas On The Map?
Most people think of Iowa as the heart of the American Midwest. Those who call the Hawkeye State "home" know that it's a place defined by its rolling hills, seemingly endless fields of corn, and that deep, dark, Iowa soil. The one drawback? Iowa is nowhere near an ocean. In fact, at it's closest point, it's 1,000 miles to the Atlantic Coastline.
But, in a certain sense, you could argue that not only is Iowa close to the ocean, it's actually IN the ocean. How is that possible? Because there's more than one Iowa.
If this fun fact just blew your mind (like it did mine) allow me to explain.
Are There Really Two Iowas On Planet Earth?
Iowa is located in the heart of the Midwest. It has a population of around 3.5 million and is nowhere near an ocean. The "Other Iowa" is around 7,000 miles away, has a population of exactly 0 residents and can be found in the warm and salty waters of the Persian Gulf.
This "Iowa Island" is actually one of nearly 300 islands that were constructed around 20 years ago at the direction of the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The island is only a fraction the size of the real Iowa, as it's only around 7 acres or about the size of 5 football fields.
Why Was It Never Finished?
The Ruler of Dubai had hired a Dutch company to build the World Island Archipelago, which was completed around 2008. However, none of the infrastructure or utilities were installed due to money running out during the 2008 financial crisis. To date, only the "Heart of Europe" islands have been fully completed, leaving the rest of the island chain abandoned.
To learn more about the World Island Archipelago, check out the video from 249 Travel in the YouTube video below.
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Gallery Credit: Katelyn Leboff
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