The most congested islands on earth

Deserted coves, palm fringed beaches and not another soul in sight. You might think that heading to an island for a holiday is a blissful way to escape it all.

But as these startling images show, the reality could be strikingly different from this assumption.

With limited yet coveted space, islands are sometimes the most densely populated places on Earth with destinations such as Hong Kong and Manhattan proving their popularity and desirability by the sheer number of people who want to set up home there.

Malé, The Maldives

The islands of the Maldives are considered isolated paradises for honeymooners. But to reach them, you'll have to arrive in crowded Malé

There's just over 133,000 people living on Malé according to the latest census listed by the UN.

Its dense population has just over two square miles of space to make their home meaning that more than 66,000 people live in a single square mile.

Venice, Italy

Venice stretches across 117 small islands along the Adriatic Sea in north-east Italy and as this incredible aerial picture shows, there's not much room for manoeuvre.

The islands are home to a population of 270,00 people. One island, Burano, has a population of 4,000 people, the equivalent of about 50,000 people per square mile.

While Venice is a city of considerable cultural significance - it's the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi, for instance - it's also a city that's in trouble. Scientists say the city is tilting to the east and heading out to the Adriatic Sea as it is hit by more floods than ever before.