It is the Ibiza the ancient Greeks used to call the 'pine-covered island', a fertile land where almost every patch of soil is filled with trees bearing different fruits - figs, quinces, lemons, carob seeds and almonds - so that the surrounding air is perfumed with their ripening scent.

BBC: The three colours of Ibiza

Even today more than 80 per cent of arable land on the island is covered by cane fields.

BBC: Blending of cultures in Mauritius

Others work on their laptops, covered in layers of fine Devon Island dust that threatens to damage the machines.

CNN: Mars 'colonists' undaunted by bad luck, punishing weather

Off South-West Africa, the discovery in 1843 of the tiny island of Ichaboe, covered in 25 feet of penguin and gannet excrement, led to a guano rush followed by a mutiny and battles.

ECONOMIST: The story of wheat: Ears of plenty | The

For sheer remoteness and scenery, visit South Georgia, a narrow, 106-mile-long, snow-covered, glacier-strewn, unpopulated island with two majestic mountain ranges.

ECONOMIST: Icebergs ahoy | The

Although most rides didn't suffer structural damage, Coney Island's amusement areas and adjacent boardwalk were covered in sand and flooded with up to five feet of water.

WSJ: Coney Island's Rides Reopen

Until a few years ago, it used to be dumped in landfills, but it is tricky to find much space on an island where more than 70% of the land is covered by mountains.

BBC: Technology

The 24 beaches around the private island all of which are only accessible by foot or dinghy are covered in finer-than-fine sand.

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