Moving the island

        




Schiermonnikoog is a small island near the coast of the Netherlands, which continuously moves to the South and East due to a special bottom, strong wind and sea waves. Only 762 years ago the island was 2 km North of its present position, and its shape is significantly different from the present. If You are familiar with math, it is easy to calculate that in the year the island moves at 2.62 meters.

It turns out that there are not just moving rocks, or sand dunes, but there is the whole moving of the island. In fact, we cannot say that Schiermonnikoog is moving. The sea erodes the island from one end and making a slit on the other side, thus moving it and changing the form. The shape of the island can change every day, but the photos of this process very difficult. Lots of satellite images documenting the movement of the island, but most of them don't work.





The name Schiermonnikoog is connected with the monks who once lived there. Monique means a monk, and schir grey that refers to the color of monk's robes. Og also translated as the island and the result is the island of the grey monks.

Its area is small, 16 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide. Schiermonnikoog part of the site of the first National Park of the Netherlands. The only settlement bears the same name as the island it resides about 1000 people. There are virtually no cars, because they have no particular need. Only a small part of the islanders got a special license and got his own car.





The main source of income of local people is tourism. On the island is the campground, pier for ferry, harbour for small vessels, approximately 15 hotels and hundreds of holiday homes. Every year these places are visited by 300 000 visitors, bringing with them a lot of money.

 








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