More ambitious is Hulhumale, an artificial island, higher than Male, that officials say they are building nearby.

ECONOMIST: Letter from Maldives

Arrow heads, pottery and ancient human remains have been found at the crannog - a kind of artificial island - that could date back more than 1, 000 years.

BBC: nit comb

And the Island of Sodor has a major comparative advantage: they have the best artificial intelligence researchers in the world.

FORBES: The Baffling Economics Of The Island Of Sodor

Sunk just off Key West , an island in the Straits of Florida, in 2009, the Vandenberg is the second-largest artificial reef in the world, attracting a diverse range of marine animals and plant life.

CNN: March 7, 2013 -- Updated 1201 GMT (2001 HKT)