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While stocks and the sun last, T's and Cs apply.

At this very second, multiple countries around the

world are racing to expand their territories, claiming lands, moving borders, and asserting

dominance over neighboring nations. While some fight for the mainland, others have begun

claiming footholds out in the ocean, and not just by claiming islands,

but by building them from the seafloor up.

That sounds impossible, right?

On the contrary, today there are some 250 artificial islands that have been developed around

the world.

Though not all of these man-made islands appear on world maps for reasons that range from the dangerous to the downright dumb.

With that said, it's time to take a look at the terrifying and stupid reasons some artificial islands are being built.

You're listening. You're listening. You're listening to be amazed.

Okay, so usually, islands form naturally as a byproduct of violent volcanic eruptions. At the bottom of the ocean, huge earthquakes buckle the earth's crust, forming cracks of molten magma along the seafloor.

These cracks form volcanoes that spew out hot lava, which cools in the water and solidifies

into rock. This rock builds up over time and eventually emerges above the waves as a whole new

island. Birds scatter seeds as they fly over, shell fragments and other debris washes

up onto the newly formed shores, and ta-da! And otherwise, barren rock is gradually transformed

into a sandy green paradise. That's the life cycle of a natural island, but unlike mother

...