Inside the world’s largest artificial islands that are often proclaimed the eighth wonder of the world

It's one of the most recognizable sites in the world: a man-made archipelago in the shape of a massive palm tree.

We are, of course, talking about the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, which some have dubbed the eighth wonder of the world.

Construction began in 2001, and it was no mean feat - it was built on reclaimed land, using sand dredged from the floor of the ocean.

It took a while to complete - in 2007, the first residents moved in, and in 2009, a monorail was opened to connect the islands to the mainland.

Captured Blinks Photography / Getty

It's now the largest man-made archipelago in the world. A 2021 YouTube video from Impressive, a channel that looks into creative and inspiration endeavors, dove into the massive project - which is so big, it can be viewed from space.

It's apparently home to 5,000 waterfront apartments, 4,000 residential villas, 1,000 water homes and 60 luxury hotels - as well as marinas, spaces, restaurants, malls and more.

One of these luxury hotels is the famous Burj Al Arab - one of the tallest hotels in the world, it resembles the sail of a ship.

According to Impressive, it cost a whopping $13 billion to construct. To protect the luxury hotels and apartments on the archipelago, an 11km breakwater surrounds the island in a crescent shape. This shields the archipelago from the waves and winds coming across the Gulf, preventing the island's sand from being washed away.

One of the wildest things about the Palm Jumeirah? Despite its name and what it looks like, you apparently won't find any palm trees anywhere on the archipelago.

Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography / Getty

The Palm Jumeirah is the first of three massive offshore developments in Dubai, but it is the only one that is complete.

While the Palm Jumeirah could be seen as a success story, the other two - Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira, which are also set to be shaped like palm trees - are nowhere near finished.

Construction has been on hold for both projects for well over a decade - and although work on Palm Jebel Ali has been relaunched, it's uncertain when it will be finished.

That's not the only unfinished megaproject in Dubai - there's also the World Islands, which were meant to be a collection of 260 islands representing a map of the world. But construction on this one has been tricky, and the islands largely stand there deserted - with no real indication that they might ever be completed.