St. Martin's Island

St. Martin's Iceland, Bengali language: সেন্ট মার্টিন্স দ্বীপ, also Coconut Iceland, is the southernmost island and the only coral island in the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The island is located deep in the south of the country in the Gulf of Bengal, a few kilometers west of the coast of Myanmar. It covers an area of ​​8 km ² ( according to the map or much less ), but decreases the coral reef slowly but continuously due to the rising sea levels and erosion. The length in north-south direction is about 10 km and the maximum width of 1.5 km. At the same time, the number of residents who live mainly in the north of the island, not least now risen to an estimated over 7000 residents due to general population growth in Bangladesh.

Whereas in the past the fishing and agriculture (especially the cultivation or use of the coconut palm and throughout much lesser extent, the cultivation of rice and other grains or other fruits ) the basis and main source of income of the inhabitants, so nowadays dominated by the (mostly local ) tourism economic life. The fact that St. Martin's Iceland has not yet been taken from international tourism in possession, justified primarily by their remote location.

The island has no airport and can be reached only by ferry from the ports of Cox's Bazar and Teknaf, both located in the southern administrative district of the country ( Cox 's Bazar (District) ).