Why is the worlds largest artificial island in the shape of a palm tree?
You can see the flattened palms from space. Their logo-like shapes span Dubai‘s coastline, providing prime gulf real estate to interested millionaires. Buyers who want a little more space can even purchase their own private islet on an archipelago shaped like a map of the world. Since the 1980s, Dubai has exploded to the forefront of global business and tourism. The ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, pursues development as a way to eliminate the emirate’s reliance on dwindling oil supplies. But Dubai’s geographical setting limits development: It’s a small desert state with a coastline only 37 miles long. High-rises and hotels gobbled up Dubai’s Persian Gulf coast in the 1990s, creating a wall of buildings. In 1993, const
