St. Martin's Island
| Native name: Narikel jinjira (Bengali) Daruchini Dwip (Bengali) |
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A view of the coastal area
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| Geography | |
| Location | Bay of Bengal |
| Coordinates | 20°36′47″N 92°19′36″E / 20.61306°N 92.32667°ECoordinates: 20°36′47″N 92°19′36″E / 20.61306°N 92.32667°E |
| Area | 8 km2 (3.1 sq mi) |
| Length | 16 km (9.9 mi) |
| Width | 0.5 km (0.31 mi) |
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Bangladesh
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| Demographics | |
| Population | 4,000 |
St. Martin's Island (Bengali: সেন্ট মার্টিন্স দ্বীপ) is a small island (area only 8 km2) in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. There is a small adjoining island that is separated at high tide, called Chera Dwip. It is about 8 kilometres (5 miles) west of the northwest coast of Myanmar, at the mouth of the Naf River.
The first settlement started 250 years ago by Arabian sailors who named the island 'Jazeera'. During British occupation the island was named St. Martin Island. During the First Anglo-Burmese War between the British and Burmese empires in 1824–1826, rival claims to the island were a major factor. The local names of the island are "Narikel jinjira" which means 'Coconut Island' in Bengali, and "Daruchini Dwip". It is the only coral island in Bangladesh.
Most of the island's approximately 3,700 inhabitants live primarily from fishing. The other staple crops are rice and coconut. Being very common on the island, algae are collected, dried, and exported to Myanmar. Between October and April, the fishermen from neighboring areas bring their caught fishes to the island's temporary wholesale market. However, imports of chicken, meat and other foods come in from the mainland Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma). As the centre and the south are mainly farmland and makeshift huts, most of the permanent structures are around the far north.
During the rainy season, because of the dangerous conditions on the Bay of Bengal, the inhabitants have no scope to go to the mainland (Teknaf) and their life can become dangerous. There is a hospital on the island, but in the past there has often been no doctor.
The only way to reach St. Martin's Island is by water transportation: boats and ships (mostly for tourists) from Teknaf. There are few or no taxis, tarred roads, or electricity. Except for the larger hotels that run on generators, there is no electricity supply from the national grid since a hurricane in 1999. The island is all about sun, sea and palm trees. During the day, it comes alive with water and beach sports, with beach parties and bonfires lighting up the evening skies.
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Wikipedia