The Sheep and The People of North Ronaldsay Island (video)

From Deutsche Welle:

The natives of North Ronaldsay were always a bit unusual. Until the 19th century they still spoke a dialect of Old Norse, a language that had already died out on the neighboring islands.

About 600 people once lived on North Ronaldsay. Nowadays the number of inhabitants is tiny. Life on the northernmost of the Orkney Islands was just too harsh on the human population. The native breed of sheep, however, which feed mainly on marine algae, could now become a lucrative source of income. But new farmers are having a hard time finding land while native residents are loath to give up their property.



The mayor of the island hopes to recruit immigrants from populous countries such as China and India to keep the local aging population from disappearing.

This may not be such an exotic idea. For example, the overpopulation and the exorbitant housing prices of Hong Kong are pushing the local people to their limits. Population density of 200,000 on one square kilometer, and a family of 4 in a single room with one bed surely make for difficult living conditions. Watch the related video below:



Life in a megacity comes at a high premium. In Hong Kong, the costs of living have exploded in recent years, making life almost unlivable for 1 in 6.